Given the reports that Steven Spielberg and his Dreamworks Studio are in talks with Anil Ambani's Reliance group, Indians may no longer be forced to brag about the hot-cold, temperamental talent of M Night Shyamalan, no longer forced to settle for the 'Indian Steven Spielberg.'
Why should they, when they can get the real thing?
Even a cursory review of Spielberg's illustrious career chances on several Indian connections. The question begs, should we have seen this coming?
1975's Jaws brought the young Jewish-American big bucks and burgeoning fame. While today the film is often lamented as a turning point in the history of Hollywood cinema -- a how-to for directors looking to get rich quick -- there is no denying its commercial success. Besides, it opened doors for Spielberg and allowed him greater autonomy over future projects.
It was one such project, 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, left, which laid Spielberg's immense gifts bare. Interestingly, one of the sci-fi flick's important scenes was shot near Mumbai, featuring the great French director Francois Truffaut, a tale chronicled producer Julia Phillips with much verve in her memoir You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again. Also, the film's famous alien mothership owes its trademark look to Spielberg's time shooting in India. Initially, he envisioned a darkened ship. But after seeing a large oil refinery at night, with its impressive towers and lights, he changed the blueprint.
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