The week’s biggest news has been about Tim Cook’s arrival. The Apple CEO has been admiring the short sci-fi film The Astronaut and His Parrot, starring Ali Fazal, while other dignitaries have been meeting with him. It was directed by Arati Kadav. Arati Kadav, who was called to give a special discussion on the film, showed it to the boss.
He was impressed by the director, who hailed her as one of India’s top sci-fi filmmakers who shot the entire award-winning film on her iPhone. On his social media, he wrote, “The Astronaut and His Parrot is a story of connection and hope. I met Arati Kadav, who made this lovely, nominated short film just with an iPhone and a MacBook Pro.”
Fazal remarked, “It was fantastic to finally show the movie to you. Receiving these kinds of praises from the Apple CEO is pretty exciting considering that the entire movie was shot using Apple technology. Since it’s a science fiction film, the majority of the shots were taken against a green screen, but it was plain Arati’s vision that gave the film its current form. I hope we continue to produce more films that accurately portray India.”
Ali Fazal:
Indian actor and model Fazal mainly appear in Hindi films. Before making an appearance in the American television miniseries Bollywood Hero, he made his acting debut in a small role in the English-language movie The Other End of the Line. He is known for his roles in films including, Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011), Baat Ban Gayi (2013), and Bobby Jasoos (2014) are just a few of the films he appeared in. His first hits were Sonali Cable (2014) and Fukrey (2013).
Following a brief cameo in 3 Idiots (2009), Fazal made his Bollywood debut in the 2011 film Always Kabhi Kabhi. He starred in the horror movie Khamoshiyan (2015), his first American feature Furious 7, and the 2016 romantic comedy Happy Bhag Jayegi with Diana Penty. Fazal played Abdul Karim, an Indian servant who serves as Queen Victoria’s confidant, in the British-American movie Victoria & Abdul, which stars Judi Dench. At the 2017 Venice Film Festival, the movie had its world premiere. The official display at Osborne House now includes the costumes used by the movie’s leading actors.
