Days 22, 23 & 24: Twenty21

As Monday (Day 22) began, we were still unsure as to whether or not we would be flying home on Tuesday, so we treated it like our last day (just incase!).

The main event of the day was the closing ceremony of the film school program which took place throughout the afternoon. It was a merry, jovial occasion but also slightly sad as it was the last time we would be seeing some of the friends we’ve made.

The ceremony began with several smooth speeches from various folk: AAFT president Sandeep Marwah, Project Co-ordinator’s Deepti Pant & Chris Leonard, Abhishek on behalf of the India students, and myself on behalf of the UK students. We then walked the red carpet, signed some autographs, and sat back for the premiere showings of our 3 collaborative films… ‘The Next 24 Hours’, ‘Snapshot’ and ‘Desires’. The films were fabulous fun to watch, and I feel we did a great job considering the time we had and the fact that we were still getting to know each other as we worked. Then, to follow up the films, we screened some exclusive preview footage from the Preston/Delhi film. This was received with rapturous applause and had created such a stir internationally that they are now begging us to repeat the screening at Cannes in May. Following the presentation of certificates, the ceremony was rounded off by indulging in light conversation over a cup of tea and a samosa (or three).

It was upon returning to the hotel that we heard the news that we’d been half-expecting all day: our flight was cancelled. As mentioned in the first ‘Travel Update’ post, alternative arrangements were soon made and everyone coped well with the difficult situation.

We didn’t want the travel situation to affect our plans so we stuck to our evening agenda which began with a trip to Taru’s house to meet her father. Like his daughter, he was incredibly welcoming/friendly and we enjoyed a pleasant hour or so with them before heading out for a meal. On the menu was a trip to central Delhi to enjoy a buffet-style typical Indian meal consisting of the usual spicy sensations.

Tuesday morning was used by most of us as a lie-in opportunity. Having had a jam-packed agenda thus far, it was quite strange to face the prospect of two days in Delhi with nothing planned. A day of relaxation was definitely needed as we all made contact with home to rearrange various plans & inform people of the situation.

The only event of the day that is truly blog-worthy was a meal out in the evening with some of the Indian lads. In need of some Western flavours, we returned to none other than TGI Friday’s. We treated it as an early birthday celebration for myself & Nicole, and had a cracking evening. To add some competitive spirit to the occasion, we set up a ‘word game’ whereby Chris gave us each a long, unusual word and we had to try to slip it into conversation during the evening without anybody noticing. To my utter dismay, I failed to say ‘Lackadaisical’ unnoticed and missed out on a share of the cash prize.

Later on in the evening, a gang of TGI staff, following a tip-off from a few members of the group, presented us with a delightful delectable chocolate birthday cake. They then requested that we follow tradition by standing on the chairs and dancing bollywood-style as they sang a birthday-related little ditty in Hindi. It was certainly an experience I won’t forget in a hurry! Panto dancers of Longton watch this space!

Then came Wednesday 21st; the double birthday bonanza! Despite not being able to spend the day at home with our family/friends, we were still able to have a brilliant day. It was slight surreal for both of us, but it was a birthday we’ll never forget. Here's a snap from birthday breakfast (it's also the last ever time I would ever enjoy the Lorshya hotel's speciality sweet coffee and butter toast combo!)...

The main event of the day was, of course, the 21 hour filmmaking challenge (as pointed out in a previous update, 21 hours was deliberately chosen as a timeframe as it was the 21st April and my 21st birthday). We had to complete the film from scratch in the allotted time and were given the following restrictions by Mr Chris…

- The film must contain exactly 21 shots
- The title must be ‘Ten Ways’
- A table must be used as a safety device
- The line "In my mouth, Sir" must be included
- The genre must be comedy and/or thriller

We successfully completed the task and the film that resulted is, for us, simply magnificent. Keeping within the restrictions, we managed to create a film that is essentially a collection of the greatest comedy moments and in-jokes from our trip (of which there were many). They’re the sort of memories that photographs simply cannot capture and to watch the film back in years to come will remind us of the amazing time we’ve had together. Outside viewers may not find it quite as hilariously howl-inducing as we do but I’m sure, when certain scenes are explained, you will all get substantial enjoyment from it too (we’ll be bringing copies home!).

The process of actually creating the film was fantastic fun from start to finish, and made the day exceedingly enjoyable. It was also a sort of light relief from the more pressured filming we’ve been doing throughout the trip. Here’s a small collection of photos from the challenge…

Another highlight of the day came in the late afternoon when a few of the Indian students arrived at the hotel with a birthday surprise for me and Nicole. The surprise took the form of two birthday cakes (one of which even read ‘Happy Birthday John & Nicole’ in icing!) and some other party snacks. Once the obligatory birthday formalities were complete (singing, three cheers, etc), we tucked into the tasty cakes and held a mini-party in the hotel reception area. After a splendid hour or so together, we made our final farewells to the students.

In the evening we sat back and relaxed with a Pizza Hut delivery and a few bottles of Haywards/Royal Challenge. I’d like to thank everyone for helping to make it such a special day, despite the circumstances. It was terrific celebration, and I now eagerly look forward to the numerous belated celebrations that will occur with family/friends upon my return to the UK.

And so, with that legendary last day, we waved goodbye to India. The trip goes on for now but our time in Delhi has come to an end-ia. For all of us, it has been the experience of a lifetime and we take so much back with us (both as filmmakers/writers and as people). Some life experiences are simply invaluable as this is certainly one of them.

On a personal note, it’s been an absolute pleasure to share our experiences with all of you via this blog. I hope that I have succeeded in my goal of making you feel part of our adventure. Thanks again for reading and for all your comments.

I’ll try my best to post a few pictures and brief accounts of our time in Cyprus so keep a lookout for those (although this may not be possible as we’re relying on internet café access whilst here).

Namaste & Shukryia!

John
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