On
September
18
when
Dilip
Mehta"s
Cooking
With
Stella
(CWS)
had
its
public
screening
at
the
Toronto
Film
Festival,
the
show
was
on
the
spur
of
the
moment,
dedicated
to
curtis
jackson,david
hamilton,dilip
mehta,lisa
ray
who
plays
one
of
the
central
characters.
Says
the
film"s
director,
“We
decided
to
dedicate
that
particular
screening
to
the
strength
and
fortitude
of
curtis
jackson,david
hamilton,dilip
mehta,lisa
ray.
The
response
was
terrific." This
is
the
first
time
in
the
history
of
film
festivals
that
a
show
has
been
dedicated
to
one
of
the
living
actors
from
a
film.
Says
Dilip,
“The
second
public
screening
of
CWS
took
place
and
once
again
the
theater
was
brimming.
It
had
sold
out
a
week
ago."
There"s
no
denying
the
fact
that
Lisa"s
presence
in
the
film
has
created
an
added
interest
in
the
film.
Says
Dilip,
“The
movie
was
thoroughly
enjoyed
and
laughter
permeated
the
entire
film.
It
seems
everyone
got
the
premise
of
the
film.
We
were
mobbed
by
film-goers
after
the
screening."
Now
Dilip
has
flown
to
Sudbury
where
CWS
opens
the
film
festival.
Says
Dilip,
“Seema
Biswas
and
I
flew
to
Sudbury
where
our
film
was
opening
the
Cinefest
Sudbury
International
Film
Festival.
The
unusual
feature
for
the
Gala
opening
was
that
the
film
was
shown
simultaneously
in
FOUR
theaters
and
each
theater
was
packed.
Seema
and
I
were
thrilled
with
the
response
CWS
received.
At
a
reception
following
the
screening
Seema
was
mobbed
by
the
invitees
who
had
remembered
her
strong
performance
in
Deepa's
Water.
We
returned
to
Toronto
on
Sunday
and
Seema
continued
on
to
London
and
then
Mumbai."
The
Atlantic
Halifax
festival
had
also
opened
on
19
September.
Says
Dilip
happily,
“CWS
once
again
opened
the
festival.
Our
producer
David
Hamilton
represented
the
film
and
did
the
honors.
And
according
to
him
the
response
in
Halifax
was
the
same.
The
audience
loved
the
film,
performances,
humor,
and
biting
satire.
On
the
25th
of
September
we
go
to
Edmonton
where
CWS
is
once
again
opening
the
international
Film
Festival."
Reliving
the
exhilarating
experience
of
attending
the
prestigious
Gala
section
of
the
Toronto
Film
Festival
with
his
cast,
Dilip
says,
“The
gala
screening
went
off
tremendously.
We
had
decided
to
arrive
at
the
red
carpet
function
in
Indian
cycle
rickshaws-
Seema
Biswas
and
Shreya
Saran,
Lisa
and
her
co-star
Don
McKellar,
and
David
and
myself.
We
had
opted
to
not
arrive
in
limousines
but
in
vehicles
of
visual
interest.
“The
media
interest
at
the
red
carpet
was
enthusiastic
so
much
so
that
the
screening
was
delayed
by
several
minutes.
The
huge
Roy
Thomson
Hall
was
packed.
The
film
was
introduced
by
Piers
Handling
(CEO
of
the
festival)
and
the
Minister
of
Culture
and
Tourism
followed
by
David
Hamilton
(Producer
of
CWS)
who
introduced
me
to
the
audience,
and
I
in
turn
brought
in
the
cast.
“The
movie
was
thoroughly
enjoyed
and
laughter
permeated
the
entire
film.
It
seems
everyone
got
the
premise
of
the
film.
We
were
mobbed
by
filmgoers
after
the
screening
but
managed
to
extricate
ourselves
to
go
to
the
special
invitees
only
party
for
the
film
thrown
by
Hussain
the
CEO
of
Mongrel
Media
(The
distributors).
And
what
a
party.
I
don't
even
think
the
stars
got
an
opportunity
to
eat
or
drink."