Seeking a little prophet

"As a thinking individual and a caring Parsi, I was troubled with the prospect that with each passing day, quite literally, our beloved community was on the path to extinction. Also a fervent need arose from deep within me to discover my roots,” says Oorvazi Irani who is in the pre-production — research and development – stage of her 52-minute documentary film Parsis – A Vanishing Race which will be directed by her and produced by Sbi Impresario Private Limited, a company started by her father Sorab Irani in 1975.

"It will be my sincere effort as a documentary filmmaker to put at center stage a free, thinking and rational mind…taking along the entire Parsi community on the journey of self-discovery while viewing the film…I will be totally non-intrusive in the unfolding of the truth…The film will be rich in visual and intellectual content. It will explore inner mindscapes through the voices of the interviewees and real life stories. Dramatically the film will juxtaposition external landscapes of the city and the villages, locations of Parsi pilgrimage and heritage sites. Rare archival footage will also be used to bring the Parsi flavor of an era gone by. Creatively it will be my endeavor to lyrically bring across the Parsi ethos through the use of cinematic devices of sound, color and music, all orchestrated in perfect harmony,” reveals the director.

"The film came to me as if in a vision,” says 28-year-old Oorvazi who is endeavoring to create a neutral common platform "where all issues can be freely discussed,” a forum where there is no preconceived agen­da, a space where the most diverse views are given equal opportunity to express themselves, where all points of view are equally important regardless of social status, power of wealth or the power of office held. "The truth of the central issue will and must emerge from the material itself — Will we vanish as a race? Will we pull together, get out of our apathy and take affirmative action? What will be the course we need to set for ourselves? And finally will there be resurgence or will there be extinction?” questions the director.

Oorvazi Irani (left): on the journey of self discovery

Acknowledging the support of organizations and individuals like Lt Gen (Retd) Adi Sethna, Parzor, and Dr Homi Dhalla of the World Zarathushti Cultural Foundation Oorvazi adds, "I look forward to making this film with the community’s active participation.” She is currently looking out for a Parsi boy between seven to 14 years of age who can be cast in the role of "the little prophet representing innocence, spirituality, purity.” Oorvazi can be contacted on her mobile 9821082944, e-mail: oorvaziirani@gmail.com or mailing address: 604, Shantivan 2, Wing A, Raheja Township, Malad East, Bombay 400097.

An arts graduate from Bombay’s Jaihind College, Oorvazi is a self-taught still photographer, passionate filmmaker and director of Sbi Impresario. She is currently the photo editor of Life Positive magazine and the CEO of the South Bombay branch of Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute, notes an introduction to the director. Under the banner of Sbi Impresario several international films have been produced: for Channel Four TV Corp, London, Percy, The Last House in Bombay, The Clap Trap and others; for BBC, London, The Legacy of Malthus; for OHM TV, The Netherlands, Ganesha; and for Delhi Doordarshan, Rakshak and Project Tiger.