Namesake Premiere Event Does Triple Duty

Following a screening of Mira Nair’s new movie, a party promoted the film and raised funds for two charities.

March 14, 2007

It wasn’t a lavish Indian wedding, but the interior of the Stephen Weiss Studios looked like one for the benefit that followed the premiere of director Mira Nair’s film The Namesake on Tuesday, March 6. Hosted by Nair and her friend Donna Karan, the event raised money for the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York, a yoga center based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, and Maisha, a training program for East African and South Asian filmmakers that Nair founded in 2004. As a result, still and video images representing The Namesake, Iyengar Yoga, and Maisha surrounded guests as part of the India-inspired decor.Nair approached Fox Searchlight, the studio behind the movie, with the request to stage a benefit supporting the two organizations. “She’s a very important filmmaker. The film is great, her other movies are great, and we also want to support her as well,” said Ruth Busenkell, Fox Searchlight’s special events coordinator. Karan underwrote the event and hired SC3 to produce and Molly Middleton of Molly Middleton Events to coordinate the interests of the three organizations involved. The charitable effort paid off: The benefit surpassed its fund-raising goal of $100,000 and netted a total of $120,000 to be split evenly between the Iyengar Yoga Association and Maisha.
—Sushil Cheema

Posted 03.14.07

Photos: Marc Pilaro Photography

Surrounded by delicate chiffon and silk fabrics and plush pillows, large projections of stills from The Namesake and director Mira Nair decorated three walls.

ABC Carpet and Home donated statues of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh and SC3 Group’s staff strung together flowers to set the scene.

JKLD created lighting projections for the floor and walls, and the SC3 Group imported authentic, ornate tables from Morocco and India for the event.

Guests noshed on an Indian-inspired menu of curries, masala-spiced delicacies, and papadam; in keeping with the event’s decor, servers wore kurtas.

A yoga video from the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York, best visible from the studio’s balcony, represented the group at the event, while a separate video about Nair’s program Maisha played in a side room.