Although set in the West Midlands much of Anita
and Me was filmed here in Nottinghamshire.
Three of the stars are Meera Syal, whose novel
of the same name was the basis of the movie, teenagers Chandeep
Uppal who plays Meena and Anna Brewster who plays Anita.
Interview
with the stars of Anita and Me
Meera,
is the film a true reflection of your childhood? It's semi-autobiographical but what happens in the film
didn't actually happen to me. Emotionally it's very reflective.
Ours was the only Asian family in the village where I lived.
How
were you chosen for the roles of Anita and Meena?
Chandeep: The casting agency came to our school. My name
had been put forward with a group of 12-13 year olds. I got
on the short list. The auditions lasted 3-4 weeks. I waited
four days to hear if I'd got the part. I didn't believe it when
I was told; I was really excited. Anna: It was the same process for me although it was
awkward because one of my best friends was up for the same part.
The auditions were quite fun because we all worked in groups.
Meera,
was there a real Anita in your life? She was an amalgamation of two or three older girls in my
village who I used to follow around. I don't know where they
are now.
Was
it difficult having written the novel to hand it over to someone
else to film? Film making is so communal that it was quite easy to let
my baby go. Everyone pulled together to get the best from the
material it was really great. The only time you really have
control as a writer is the first draft; after that everyone
takes over. I didn't want people to think they had to please
me or my parents; I wanted them to be themselves.
How
long did it take to bring the film to the big screen? The process actually took four years, going through many
different phases. Making a film has to be a labour of love.
Metin (H眉seyin - the director) was the objective eye because
what works well in the book doesn't necessarily work on screen.
Chandeep
and Anna, what was it like working on the film?
Chandeep: Really slow. We thought we'd do 5/6 scenes a day
but it took ages. We had to do things over and over again. Anna: There were so many people watching you, all these
people to operate a camera. There were about 50 in front of
you. Eventually you got used to it.
Chandeep Uppal plays Meena in Anita and Me
What
about the 70s - would you like to have lived then?
Chandeep: The fashions were horrible. We had to wear really
uncomfortable shoes and dresses. I'd rather listen to music
of today. Anna: I didn't mind it. There are a lot of crossover
songs which were in the charts then and are back now.
Why
film much of the movie in Nottinghamshire?
Meera: I grew up in a mining community but there are no
suitable villages now, they're all surrounded by housing estates.
We looked all around the west Midlands but couldn't find anywhere
suitable. We eventually came to the east Midlands and found
locations in Nottinghamshire (the village of Selston and Chatsworth
House in Derbyshire were among those used).
Would
you like to stay in acting?
Chandeep: I'll see how it goes. I want to concentrate on
my school work at the moment. Anna: School's really important. I've got to get my A
levels first.
How
have your friends reacted?
Chandeep: Everyone was really pleased for me. I'm glad they
weren't jealous. My friends stuck by me. If someone wants to
see me differently that's up to them. I haven't changed. Anna: Mine are really interested in what I'm doing. I've
just started college so I've got a different set of friends
who didn't know me before the film.
Anna Brewster plays the title character in
Anita and Me
