Necessary middleman
Noorani was born in Mumbai and grew up here before going off to film school in Los Angeles. It would prove to be a turning point in his life. During this time, Noorani made many fortuitous connections, such as his partners in India Take One Productions—Deepak Nayyar and Parvesh Sahni. “Deepak was getting a lot of offers for commercials in India,” says Noorani. “I would come along with him for some shoots, which is when I met Parvesh as well. We saw need for a production se rvices company.” And the trio jumped at the opportunity to form one of their own.
In the late ’90s, a production services company was a novelty in India. Compared to Los Angeles, where companies operated with discipline in a structured environment, India was wildly disorganised and notoriously difficult to navigate. To people from Los Angeles looking to shoot in India, Noorani became a natural liaison man. Moreover, he knew both cultures intimately. “I would interact with a company in LA, for instance, and travel back and forth and ensure that things are in sync,” he explains. Their first major project wasHoly Smoke (1999), starring Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel.
In the last two decades Noorani’s company has earned a well-deserved reputation for efficiency and quality. As a result, big names have come calling. Business has expanded beyond films to commercials, music videos, documentaries and big-ticket TV series. Apart fromSilicon Valley: Season 3 and Homeland:
Culturally speaking
Noorani admits that normally companies that hire him are pressed for time. Tight schedules mean that even the slightest disturbance or delay can throw schedules off badly. A few years ago, for instance, it would be common for unions to halt shoots. “The police force is very different in the US. If you have permits then everything goes smoothly; they’re slightly more respectful as well,” he says. “Here, that’s not always the case. That said, we’ve received great support from the local police in recent years. That has eased the process a lot.” The company learns constantly from setbacks. In order to prevent protests, Noorani says, recently he took the extraordinary step of ensuring that each international crew member for Sense8 had a union card.
Challenges, of course, arrive in many shapes and sizes. Noorani recalls that Slumdog Millionaire was one of the most taxing and challenging shoots for the company and not least because they had very little money. “Danny Boyle is brilliant but very demanding,” he recalls. “He pushed us and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Even if it meant emptying VT [CST] station and getting thousands of extras.”
The schedule at VT station lasted for about six days, between two to five in the morning. Juggling electrical wires and lighting was dangerous and required extremely careful handling, while balancing the need for shoot to be wrapped up quickly. “For me the most memorable moment was at the end of shoot in the station,” remembers Noorani. “We were so grateful.
I remember heaving a sigh of relief and walking off in the morning. That’s what it’s about. It has nothing to do with the film doing well.
It’s about that moment when the director’s happy and has got exactly what he wanted.”
