Starring Indian actor Dhanush and Berenice Bejo, the film opens on June 21
By Rohan Rai
TORONTO Canadian Director Ken Scott has the international audience abuzz with his latest upcoming English language feature – The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir.
The film, co-produced between France, India and Belgium, will be distributed in Canada by A-Z Films, and released in cinemas across Canada and several international markets on June 21.
Renowned Indian actor Dhanush plays the lead in the film that also features Berenice Bejo, Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty and Abel Jafri. Rounding out the cast is Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, and Stefano Cassetti.
The film has been adapted from Romain Puértolas’ best-selling novel The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Caught In An Ikea Wardrobe. The screenplay of the film was written by Puértolas and Luc Bossi who is also producing through his Paris-based company Brio Films. Other co-producers include Vamonos Films, Little Red Car Films, Scope Pictures, M! Capital Ventures, Impact Films and Golden Ratio Films.
Scott has written, directed and provided screenplay for several highly acclaimed films including Sticky Fingers, Starbuck, Delivery Man and Unfinished Business.
Q. This film has been adapted from Romain Puértolas’ best-selling novel The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Caught In An Ikea Wardrobe. How easy was it to translate the book into a film?
Puertolas’ book is full of heart, unexpected plot twists, fantasy, adventure, and even delightfully absurd moments. My adaptation of the novel, in collaboration with Puértolas and Luc Bossi (the leading producer of the movie) aims to pay tribute to all those fantastic elements, bringing them to the screen in a playful and authentic way. Romain urged us to follow our creative instincts and not limit ourselves to the contents of the novel, permitting us to expand on ideas with great liberty. Ultimately, we shaped the screenplay into a cautionary tale about a young, ambitious Indian boy from a small neighborhood in Mumbai who unexpectedly ends up traveling across Europe in a journey of self-discovery.
True to the spirit of Puértolas’ novel, our film is a comedy that explores chance, karma, and free will. Funny, whimsical, slapstick yet poignant and even sometimes a touch philosophical, THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR is an expedition that brings our main character to many different countries revealing their attitudes and policies. Never preachy or political, our film explores what has become the subject of heated debates in Europe and North America: Immigration.
Q. How was it to work with Dhanush? What do you feel is his strongest quality as an actor and were there any challenges in the working styles?
One of the most interesting aspects of shooting The Fakir was the chance to work every day with an actor as talented as Dhanush. He is a great actor, a fabulous dancer, he has the perfect delivery for comedy, but his most exceptional quality is most definitely this uncanny ability to make people care. Dhanush pulls us into the story and makes us want to follow his character AJATASHATRU on his journey that puts forward the vital plight of immigrants from all around the world.
Q. There are three songs in the film? How was it to shoot a Bollywood dance performance?
For a director, especially myself, it was a unique pleasure to shoot a film with a full-on Bollywood dance performance, especially with such an incredible and accomplished Indian actor like Dhanush.
Q. The film is going to be released in several countries. Tell us about that?
It is very exciting to have a worldwide release; every country reacts a bit differently to the film. We will be released in over 163 countries. Some countries know Dhanush, some not at all. That makes a huge difference in how the movie is perceived. People that are seeing Dhanush for the first time are impressed to discover such a talented actor. There is also the fact that Romain Puertolas’ book has been a best seller in many countries, so that also influences how the movie is perceived.
Q. What is the best compliment that you have got for the film?
The editor of the book said to me that the movie was better than the book. I truly enjoyed reading Romain Puertolas’ best-selling Novel The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Caught In An Ikea Wardrobe. The book is full of heart, unexpected plot twists, fantasy, adventure, and even delightfully absurd moments. The adaptation of the Novel was an interesting collaboration between Puertolas, Luc Bossy (the leading producer of the movie), and myself. It was an interesting process since Romain was the first to want us all to stay creative in the process and not limit ourselves to what was in the Novel. This permitted us to expand on ideas with great liberty. Ultimately, together we shaped the screenplay into a cautionary tale about a young, ambitious Indian boy that grew up in a small neighborhood in Mumbai who unexpectedly ends up traveling across Europe in a journey of self-discovery. True to the spirit of Romaine’s Novel, our film is a comedy that explores Chance, Karma and Free will. So I do feel that having the editor of the book telling us we did good was for me a very satisfying.
Q. As a director, how do you react when you see your work on screen? Are
you someone who is satisfied or do you feel you could have done
something differently?
When my movies come out, I am able to forget my dissatisfactions. For me, what is essential is the audience’s experience. Are they enjoying the story? Are they laughing? Are they engaged in the story?
The film got a standing ovation in France. Did you ever anticipate that the film would be loved so much? What do you feel people connected to in the film?
We did get a very long standing ovation in Paris at the premiere. It was a great reaction, especially for a Parisian audience who can be challenging to please. It was a great way to start the worldwide release of the movie. It gives us a confidence.
