A LETTER FROM ZIMBABWE
I still cant figure out if it was pure co-incidence or a strange twist of destiny - I received a fax. Something very unusual and extraordinary - a letter granting me permission to film in Zimbabwe when I was watching Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America. I loved that film ever since I was a little boy and it has always made me curious about Africa. Its hard to explain how excited I was to see the letter just when I was watching a film, which has inspired me to go to Africa.
I couldn’t believe that I was going to Zimbabwe. I had a rush of adrenalin run through my blood stream. It took me a few minutes to control my excitement. I was very excited about the fact that I got the permission to film in one of the most controversial countries, which for years has not allowed access to the international media. I had read a great deal about its politicians – both good and bad. And I was looking forward to my first visit to Africa, despite protests from my worried mother.
I was excited about the prospect of visiting Victoria falls, about going on a lion safari, about Bungee jumping from the worlds highest falls. But, even more exciting was the prospect of questioning people who were at the helm of affairs in Zimbabwe and to communicate to the rest of the world about what it was really like there.
I put together a team of people – a production executive and a cameraman – chalked out a plan of action, got my tickets booked, looked at the other nitty-gritty of travel and was roaring to go. I was to leave on the 7th of October 2005, from Hyderabad, a South Indian city famous for new wealth from information technology enterprise and fat, vulgar, Telugu film stars. The Itenary given to me along with my tickets said – Hyderabad – Mumbai – Nairobi - Harare. It seemed like a long journey. But I was looking forward, really looking forward to exploring the unknown.
I was reminded at what a Professor of mine at the LSE has said - "Do not limit yourself with what you know but rather what you do not know"!
Shrenik
I still cant figure out if it was pure co-incidence or a strange twist of destiny - I received a fax. Something very unusual and extraordinary - a letter granting me permission to film in Zimbabwe when I was watching Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America. I loved that film ever since I was a little boy and it has always made me curious about Africa. Its hard to explain how excited I was to see the letter just when I was watching a film, which has inspired me to go to Africa.
I couldn’t believe that I was going to Zimbabwe. I had a rush of adrenalin run through my blood stream. It took me a few minutes to control my excitement. I was very excited about the fact that I got the permission to film in one of the most controversial countries, which for years has not allowed access to the international media. I had read a great deal about its politicians – both good and bad. And I was looking forward to my first visit to Africa, despite protests from my worried mother.
I was excited about the prospect of visiting Victoria falls, about going on a lion safari, about Bungee jumping from the worlds highest falls. But, even more exciting was the prospect of questioning people who were at the helm of affairs in Zimbabwe and to communicate to the rest of the world about what it was really like there.
I put together a team of people – a production executive and a cameraman – chalked out a plan of action, got my tickets booked, looked at the other nitty-gritty of travel and was roaring to go. I was to leave on the 7th of October 2005, from Hyderabad, a South Indian city famous for new wealth from information technology enterprise and fat, vulgar, Telugu film stars. The Itenary given to me along with my tickets said – Hyderabad – Mumbai – Nairobi - Harare. It seemed like a long journey. But I was looking forward, really looking forward to exploring the unknown.
I was reminded at what a Professor of mine at the LSE has said - "Do not limit yourself with what you know but rather what you do not know"!
Shrenik
posted by Shrenik Rao at 10:07 AM
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