Where it All Began...

Just the other night the movie 'The Terminal' was on TBS...a loveable film starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and also the first time I saw the charismatic Kumar Pallana.  In the movie Kumar plays Gupta the Janitor and coins the phrase, "Do you have an appointment?"

So the story goes like this...I saw Kumar Ji (I say 'Ji' at the end of his name as a sign of respect in the Indian culture), so I saw Kumar Ji in the film and literally met him one week later on another film shoot.  I was so engaged by this elderly gentleman who sort of this comedian-magician-Yoga Guru all in one type. 

We didn't really stay in touch, but for the next few months I wrote and re-wrote the script for what became 'Dada Ji' and when it was ready I finally sent it over, along with a letter explaining that I was a student, I knew he had worked with greats such as Spielberg and Wes Anderson, but I would be honored to work with him.

He called literally the next day - and the rest is history. 

Funny how life works...sometimes those golden moments just come to you, and when you feel like you've happened upon one, all I have to say is, go with it!  I hold this film very close to my heart, I replay the events of the making of this movie and I realize it fate who played a big hand in pulling it all together.