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{{Short description|2007 American drama film}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Pool
| image = THEPOOLPOSTER VENKATESH LR.jpg
| caption = ''The Pool'' poster
| director = [[Chris Smith (filmmaker)|Chris Smith]]
| producer = Kate Noble
| writer = Chris Smith Randy Russell
| starring = Venkatesh Chavan Jhangir Badshah Ayesha Mohan [[Nana Patekar]]
| music = Didier Leplae [[Joe Wong (musician)|Joe Wong]]
| cinematography = Chris Smith
| editing = [[Barry Poltermann]]
| distributor = Vitagraph Films
| released = {{Film date|2007|01|18}}
| runtime = 95 minutes
| country = United States
| language = [[Hindi]] English ([[Subtitle (captioning)|subtitles]])
| budget =
}}

'''''The Pool''''' is a 2007 American [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film co-written and directed by [[Chris Smith (filmmaker)|Chris Smith]]. The film stars non-professional actors Venkatesh Chavan and Jhangir Badshah, as well as [[Indian cinema|Bollywood]] veteran [[Nana Patekar]] and newcomer Ayesha Mohan.

Though filmed in [[Hindi language|Hindi]], a language Smith didn't know, the film earned good reviews. Besides winning a Special Jury prize at the [[2007 Sundance Film Festival]],<ref name="sundance">{{cite web |last=Means P. |first=Sean |date=7 March 2007 |title=Sundance: Winners span the Earth and beyond |url=http://www.sltrib.com/sundance/ci_5105045 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223012406/http://www.sltrib.com/sundance/ci_5105045 |archive-date=December 23, 2007 |accessdate=3 September 2008 |work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]}}</ref> the film won accolades from Geoffrey Gilmore, director of the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. In the same year, it was screened at the [[Vienna International Film Festival]] and [[International Film Festival of India]].

The DVD was released on 13 July 2010.

==Plot==
The story revolves around a young janitor working at a hotel in the port city of [[Panjim]], [[India]], who sees from his perch in a mango tree a luxuriant garden and shimmering pool hidden behind a wall. In making whatever efforts he can to better himself, Venkatesh offers his services to the wealthy owner of the home. Not content to simply dream about a different life, Venkatesh is inquisitive about the home's inhabitants and his curiosity changes the shape of his future.

== Cast ==

* [[Nana Patekar]] as Nana
* Venkatesh Chavan as Venkatesh
* Jhangir Badshah as Jhangir
* Ayesha Mohan as Ayesha

== Production ==
After ''[[American Job]]'' (1996), ''[[American Movie]]'' (1999), ''Home Movie'' (2001), and ''[[The Yes Men]]'' (2003), [[Milwaukee]]-based director [[Chris Smith (filmmaker)|Chris Smith]] read a story, written by Randy Russel, about a person from a graduate school in [[Iowa]]. This person, who is out running, sees a swimming pool and gets obsessed with swimming in it. He follows around the people who own the place and tries to befriend them. However, Smith clarified that the film's story evolved from it in a "completely different way from there".<ref name="smith1">{{cite web |last=Dudek |first=Duane |date=18 September 2007 |title=Milwaukee director goes to India for 'Pool' |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=663703 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605230709/http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/29392389.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |accessdate=3 September 2008 |website=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref> He said that though they had a draft in hand while beginning the shooting, his goal was to let the environment (the actors, their experiences and observations) shape the story.<ref name="smith4">{{cite web|url=http://www.thepoolfilm.com/thepool/THEPOOL_faq.doc |format=DOC |title=Frequently Asked Questions with Chris Smith, director |last=Noble |first=Kate |work=Press Kit – The Pool |accessdate=3 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111337/http://www.thepoolfilm.com/thepool/THEPOOL_faq.doc |archivedate=27 April 2015 }}</ref>

The film is a collaborative result of a crew that was half-based in India and United States. The crew included producer Kate Noble, creative consultant Xavier Leplae, whose film ''I'm Bobby'' was shot in the Indian state of [[Goa]].<ref name="smith1"/> Xavier's brother, Didier Leplae, who composed the score with [[Joe Wong (musician)|Joe Wong]] in Milwaukee, had it arranged by a [[Bollywood]] composer, and recorded by a small orchestra in [[Mumbai]]. The film also credits independent film representative and producer John Sloss, who has handled all of his films, as being his "conduit to the rest of the world,"<ref name="smith1"/> and said that it was Sloss' work on his behalf that "has allowed me to stay in Milwaukee."<ref name="smith1"/> [[Barry Poltermann]], who edited ''The Pool'' and ''American Movie'', continued his association with Smith with this film.<ref name="smith1"/>

Though the story was originally set in Iowa, Smith chose the [[port|port city]] of [[Panjim]], Goa due to his long-time fascination with the city, especially the contrast between the rich and the poor.<ref name="smith2">{{cite web|url=http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2008/sep/02slde1.htm|title=A tale reminiscent of Satyajit Ray|work=[[Rediff.com]]|last=Pais J|first=Arthur|date=2 September 2008|accessdate=3 September 2008}}</ref> For the 65-day shoot, Smith and his crew moved to India for a five-month period.<ref name="smith3">{{cite web|url=http://www.nysun.com/arts/chris-smith-american-director/84858/|title=Chris Smith: American Directory|publisher=[[The New York Sun]]|last=Rapold|first=Nicolas|date=29 August 2008|accessdate=3 September 2008}}</ref> While referring to this cinematic endeavour as an experiment, he felt that the journey to India was crucial in clearing up his creative space to work.<ref name="smith3"/>

Smith once thought of aborting the project because they were unsuccessful in locating a bungalow with a pool.<ref name="smith2"/> Eventually, they managed to lease one from a New Zealand-Indian.<ref name="smith3"/>

=== Casting ===
Saying that this film was the hardest he ever worked on in his life, Smith added that [[Casting (performing arts)|casting]] for the film was quite a challenge. The crew lost three lead actors due to various reasons. While one of them went to Mumbai on the pretext of buying [[karate]] uniforms and never returned,<ref name="smith3"/> a young girl could not obtain permission for leave from school. The actor originally chosen for the father's role left them for a television series. These unfortunate incidents happened three days prior to commencement of the shoot.<ref name="smith4"/>

After a casting director, who had previously worked with Ayesha Mohan, sent them her details, she was chosen to play the main actress.<ref name="smith1"/> Speaking about how they identified [[Nana Patekar]], a veteran Bollywood actor, Smith said:

<blockquote>When you're trying to cast, you will look anywhere and everywhere. At dinner, we would look at the waiters. And one day, this newspaper came (to their hotel room) with a story on Nana (Patekar). And it said that he takes his time between movies and likes to do interesting projects. And Kate thought he looked perfect. We liked his eyes and the way he handled himself in the interview. And he seemed a kindred spirit to what we were trying to do.<ref name="smith3"/></blockquote>

Smith was convinced that if Patekar agreed to play the role, the film would get a boost. Actress Mohan helped him approach [[Anurag Kashyap (director)|Anurag Kashyap]], who directed her in the Bollywood film ''[[Black Friday (2004 film)|Black Friday]]'' (2004).<ref name="smith4"/> Initially, Patekar was not interested to do the film. But Kashyap urged him to take a look at 45 minutes of the film's footage. Upon watching it, Patekar remained quiet for some time and then he said, "this reminds me of what we used to do before we got corrupted."<ref name="smith3"/> According to Smith, Patekar not just played his character, but also helped out in various scenes while filming.<ref name="smith3"/>

20-year-old Venkatesh Chavan, who played the role of the young boy fascinated by the pool, originally hailed from [[Mundargi]] town in [[Gadag district]] of [[Karnataka]]. Chavan's parents left for Goa in search of work. While Smith was in the process of casting, Venkatesh was helping his parents to sell scrap. In January 2006, when he was roaming on the streets of [[Vasco da Gama, Goa|Vasco da Gama]], Smith met him, introduced himself and asked him to act in his film. Venkatesh took his parents' permission and agreed. His mother and sister were asked to play the role of his mother and sister in the film as well. He received [[Indian rupee|INR]] 60,000 as compensation for acting in the film. While filming, Chavan thought it was a documentary.<ref name="chavan1">{{Cite web |date=23 August 2007 |title=Tanda boy turns English movie hero: Deccan Herald |url=http://zeenews.india.com/home/tanda-boy-turns-english-movie-hero-deccan-herald_390513.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125041642/http://zeenews.india.com/home/tanda-boy-turns-english-movie-hero-deccan-herald_390513.html |archive-date=January 25, 2016 |accessdate=2015-09-02 |website=[[Zee News]]}}</ref> Jhangir, who was selected to play the 11-year-old character, worked as an employee in a bar/restaurant.<ref name="IFFI">{{cite web |date=28 November 2007 |title=Star-crossed boys grab screen-share at IFFI |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200711281021.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914124040/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200711281021.htm |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |accessdate=3 September 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

=== Filmmaking ===
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; colour:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" |"We would cut scenes together – then either adapt other scenes or shoot new scenes to compliment {{sic}} what we already had. The great thing was I could think of a scene at night and we could shoot it the next morning – give the tape to the editor at lunch and see it in the cut the next night."
—Chris Smith, director<ref name="smith4"/>
|}

Neither of the young leads could read, so they couldn't really prepare their scenes in advance. They had to rehearse on the spot and once they got it right, the scene was shot. Another complication was their language. Since neither of them spoke English, it was difficult for Smith to directly convey detailed direction. Hence, with a translator in place, it could easily get translated in the wrong way. Another challenge was that the film was being shot in [[Hindi language|Hindi]], which was not the first language of either of them.<ref name="smith4"/> In addition, Smith had absolutely no knowledge of Hindi. Effectively, they were being directed in a language they did not understand and having to shoot complex dialogue scenes in a language alien to them.<ref name="smith4"/>

Poltermann was editing while the filming was in progress. Smith thought that this process had a huge impact on the finished film.<ref name="smith4"/>

==Critical reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an aggregate score of 94% based on 45 positive and 3 negative critics' reviews. The website consensus reads: "Beautifully crafted with loosely drawn characters and a lilting, natural pace, Chris Smith's ''The Pool'' features a universal message to which everyone can relate."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pool |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_pool |access-date=September 1, 2022 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Marjorie Baumgarten of ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'' named it the fourth best film of 2008,<ref name=mctop08/> Sheri Linden of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' named it the fourth best film of 2008,<ref name=mctop08/> and Tasha Robinson of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' named it the tenth best film of 2008.<ref name=mctop08>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2008/toptens.shtml |title=Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=11 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102205252/http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2008/toptens.shtml |archivedate=2 January 2009 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080916181953/http://www.thepoolfilm.com/thepool Official site]
* {{IMDb title|0911024|The Pool}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|the_pool|The Pool}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=The Pool}}

{{Chris Smith}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pool, The}}
[[Category:Films set in India]]
[[Category:Films shot in India]]
[[Category:2007 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2007 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:2007 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Chris Smith]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award–winning films]]
[[Category:2007 independent films]]
[[Category:2007 American films]]

The Pool (2007 film) - Revision history

Vijaysakumedia: adding initial info from scratch