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<strong>READ</strong> <strong>MORE</strong> <strong>ABOUT</strong><br />
Amal Neerad Badal Sarkar KM Vishnuvardhana M Sukumar<br />
R Chezhiyan Raja Satankar Rajan Soundar S PV Ravi Kishore<br />
S Ramachandra Sanjay C Nair Shaad Kumar Sunil Patel<br />
<strong>AlsO</strong> <strong>fEATURED</strong><br />
BC Naria Hariharan VN Mohan Siddharth Diwan<br />
<strong>fOCUs</strong> <strong>ON</strong><br />
Government Film & Television Institute, Hessaraghatta Prasad EFX
VOLUME 8, ISSUE 5 2011<br />
Foreword<br />
Push boundaries<br />
with KodaK<br />
A poll on the internet I recently visited asked people the meaning of:<br />
“to push the boundaries”.<br />
The answer that won the maximum votes was, “to extend ones’ frontiers,<br />
to boldly go, to experiment, not to be content with, and want to find out<br />
more; a step in the search for knowledge.”<br />
I couldn’t help but put two and two together. This was exactly what<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> is encouraging the industry to do. By providing cutting edge<br />
products that have broadened the scope of the DoP’s work, it has<br />
certainly raised the glass ceiling, moreso in today’s context when<br />
Digital capture is really hyping up its technology bit.<br />
In this issue, each DoP featured, has in some way pushed the envelope.<br />
As you read, you will realise, page after page that each story is a success<br />
story, written with the help of <strong>Kodak</strong>. Either, it is the ability of the stock<br />
to give good results, despite low light conditions, or give clarity and<br />
colour as was envisaged, or completely eliminate grains – it’s all there<br />
in their own words.<br />
The first step towards innovation is merging disciplines and combining<br />
technologies. Our lead story is about DoP Ranjan Palit and the untrodden<br />
path that he and director Vishal Bharadwaj have taken in visualising the<br />
film Saat Khoon Maaf. Go ahead and read it. Read why Palit thinks<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> makes a difference! And then experience it for yourself.<br />
Suresh S Iyer<br />
Country Business Manager<br />
Entertainment Imaging<br />
Managing Editor Suresh S Iyer<br />
Editor C Sengupta<br />
Contributors Jayanti Sen, Dev Tulal Das and KB Venu<br />
Design and Layout M-Power Creations<br />
Printing Printania, Mumbai<br />
Printed and Published by Suresh Iyer on behalf of <strong>Kodak</strong> India Private Limited, at Mumbai.<br />
Do write in with ideas, suggestions, comments to kodakimages@rediffmail.com<br />
This is an independent magazine. Views expressed in the articles are those of the editorial team.<br />
5<br />
9<br />
11<br />
28<br />
33<br />
36<br />
COnTEnTS<br />
ORIGINAL PERCEPTI<strong>ON</strong><br />
Sunil Patel on how today’s images<br />
are born out of a different thinking.<br />
DIFFERENT OUTLOOK<br />
Raja Satankar tries to understand<br />
the director’s vision before<br />
planning ‘the look’.<br />
HEART’S DESIRE<br />
Shaad Kumar’s story of commitment<br />
and dedication to the art and craft<br />
of cinematography.<br />
13<br />
23<br />
27<br />
REALITY BYTES<br />
VN Mohan says that it is best to fail<br />
by trying unusual things rather than<br />
to succeed by doing usual things.<br />
GOLDEN C<strong>ON</strong>TRIBUTI<strong>ON</strong><br />
FTII has indeed made a golden<br />
contribution to Indian Cinema.<br />
AN UNSUNG HERO<br />
The life and times of one of<br />
Kannada’s finest cinematographers,<br />
S Ramachandra.<br />
ENLIGHTENED MOMENTS<br />
R Chezhiyan paints a portrait on<br />
celluloid whenever he wields<br />
the camera.<br />
KODAK’LL REMAIN<br />
Badal Sarkar is deeply interested in<br />
how light is used to create images.<br />
FORGING AHEAD<br />
Prasad EFX offers an entire range of<br />
Digital services and more.
D<br />
irector Vishal<br />
cover STorY<br />
DARing<br />
steP<br />
out<br />
Ranjan Palit is unique in his approach to film making. According to him, a film is<br />
a director’s vision and the camera should not come in the way. With deep roots in<br />
documentary films, Palit treads down an untrodden path with his recent release –<br />
Saat Khoon Maaf where his camera is a character in itself interacting with the actors.<br />
Palit with his deft artistry creates a sensuous, lingering and bold piece of cinema.<br />
Saat Khoon Maaf<br />
days after one has seen the film. Content-wise<br />
film. A backdrop of filming<br />
Bharadwaj and<br />
the film portrays the story of a young woman,<br />
and directing at least a hundred<br />
cinematographer<br />
Susanna, who in her unending quest for love,<br />
documentaries before working<br />
Ranjan Palit<br />
marries one man after another, but an unknown<br />
as a cinematographer in this<br />
have broken all<br />
realm of her psyche leads her to kill all of them.<br />
film, Palit has shot a daring film<br />
conventions of a<br />
The film has an almost surreal touch to it taking<br />
forging a new path in Indian<br />
traditional Hindi<br />
the viewer through a journey of a woman’s<br />
cinema. Commenting on his own<br />
masala movie to create a fresh,<br />
tortuous turbulent life.<br />
work in Saat Khoon Maaf Palit<br />
daring, haunting piece of cinema<br />
The whole approach of cinematography is<br />
says: ‘‘Worldwide fiction and<br />
in Saat Khoon Maaf. The fantastic<br />
strikingly different for this film. With Bharadwaj,<br />
advertising have begun borrowing<br />
images taken by Palit keep coming<br />
Palit decided to work out a totally untrodden<br />
from documentary; I mean the look,<br />
up before the mind’s eye for several<br />
path of cinematography when visualising the<br />
the acting, the mise-en-scene…<br />
1
2<br />
cover STorY<br />
gone are heavily choreographed,<br />
tracking movements, jib, crane<br />
– all that is fast disappearing…<br />
gone is the way of breaking down<br />
a scene beforehand, into multiple<br />
shots, the conventional long<br />
shot, mid shot, complimentary<br />
over-the-shoulder shots, leading<br />
to close-ups… now as far as<br />
possible, the approach is to do a<br />
few long continuous shots, where<br />
the camera follows characters,<br />
weaves in and out of them, a<br />
chemistry happens between the<br />
actors and the camera, creating<br />
something much more endemic<br />
to a scene, much more organic<br />
and real-natural… it is not only<br />
non-restricting, it actually helps<br />
the actors perform. Boring<br />
old grammar is broken, and a<br />
new film language is created,<br />
which is much fresher, dynamic<br />
and natural.”<br />
The film has an aura of a novel<br />
unfolding before our eyes, the<br />
rich, dark or even awesome<br />
eye-level shots, or shots taken<br />
from unusual angles create the<br />
inherent drama or conflict within<br />
the minds of the characters. In<br />
the scenes between Susanna,<br />
played by Priyanka Chopra,<br />
and her first husband played by<br />
Neil Nitin Mukesh, the shock<br />
or even impulse that we are led<br />
into feeling is at the same time<br />
erotic, yet frightening to some<br />
extent. This brings us to another<br />
aspect of the film that is deeply<br />
compelling – the handling of<br />
eroticism, physical love between<br />
a man and a woman. The<br />
sensuousness of a woman’s body,<br />
her relationship with a man, is very effectively<br />
brought out without using sheer bare-bodied<br />
shots. “Our approach, both of the director and<br />
mine, was never to use plain, sheer eroticism.<br />
You may have noted, in this first part where<br />
Susanna engaged in a tango dance with another<br />
man while her first husband looks on, is quite<br />
erotic, it is charged.” says Palit. “I have used a<br />
flare in these shots – Neil watches on, he is angry,<br />
it takes us to the bedroom sequence where she<br />
is tormented by her husband. Here I have used<br />
unusual camera angles,” he adds.<br />
Palit’s camera takes peculiar, almost low-angle,<br />
toppish shots where the husband looks very<br />
sinister while the woman is vulnerable, quick<br />
The camera is like a<br />
character, interacting<br />
with the actors. My<br />
camera is reacting to their<br />
movement spontaneously<br />
– that is an outcome of my<br />
documentary background.<br />
to break down. Palit’s lighting in<br />
these shots also use a very lowkey<br />
light-and-shade pattern which<br />
enhances the unhappy feeling of<br />
the shot. “You will note that even in
the jungle sequence, I have kept the<br />
moonlight with a greenish tinge to<br />
give a slightly unreal touch to keep<br />
an unpleasant mood. Our whole<br />
aim in this film was to build up an<br />
eroticism that has so far not been<br />
explored,” he says. “In the John<br />
Abraham sequences the shots were<br />
simpler, but when you go on to the<br />
Annu Kapoor sequence, you see<br />
Annu practically having a dialogue<br />
with Susanna’s thigh – this, by<br />
itself, is absurd almost. It bugs me<br />
when people keep asking me why<br />
this is so, why she kills. See, we<br />
were out to subvert the eroticism so<br />
far portrayed in the average Hindi<br />
commercial cinema,” explains<br />
Palit.<br />
Palit’s team of Nandu, Saurabh,<br />
Ravi Kiran and Tini were very<br />
involved in the film and not just possessive<br />
about camerawork. “Their involvement with<br />
the film and ‘not only the camera’ was even<br />
acknowledged by the director,” says Palit.<br />
Palit goes on to recall a shot inside a well. He<br />
says, “We were shooting with real snakes in a<br />
very small area. Priyanka was very frightened<br />
in the beginning, but when she saw my gaffer<br />
Nandu handling the snakes with ease, she took<br />
her courage in her own hands and said, “I can<br />
hold the snakes for ten seconds if you can take it<br />
at one go.” “I used a big 18K HMI light which<br />
came from above, to simulate sunlight. I told<br />
Priyanka to lift her head to capture some of the<br />
sunlight on her hair and then took the shot,” says<br />
Palit.<br />
But the most weirdly erotic of all the sequences<br />
is the one with Irrfan and Priyanka. “This, I say,<br />
was a crazy bit of shooting. Neither Vishal nor I<br />
were really prepared as to what would happen in<br />
this sequence. I was using a hand-held camera,<br />
and Vishal told me to be prepared for anything<br />
that may come up. As the two characters handle,<br />
jostle, pull at each other’s clothes, tearing<br />
them apart, there I was, climbing on the bed,<br />
taking one, impossible continuous shot, one<br />
full magazine, sliding on the ground with them<br />
15-20<br />
words<br />
(quote)<br />
cover STorY<br />
in view. We never knew what<br />
Irrfan would do in this bedroom<br />
shot. The ceiling of the room was<br />
very low; daylight was coming<br />
in from the windows. The mood,<br />
the timeless feeling, movements<br />
of the sequence had to be created.<br />
In fact the whole film has this<br />
feel of a fairy-tale which is what<br />
Bharadwaj wanted to create,” says<br />
Palit.<br />
“I kneeled, slid and even moved<br />
around slowly in one single<br />
shot – an entire reel,” adds Palit.<br />
“There was this little risk of a<br />
slight camera-shake, but I took<br />
the risk for all it’s worth and shot<br />
the scene; and the results I feel has<br />
satisfied us all.”<br />
A very interesting and important<br />
aspect of the film is its<br />
architecture. “Art director Samir<br />
Chanda has done a great job, and<br />
I tried to keep his visualisation<br />
true and effective – the house is a<br />
real hundred year old house with<br />
the well, the dead tree – the whole<br />
3
4<br />
cover STorY<br />
place had this sort of brooding<br />
aura about it,” says Palit. Chanda<br />
built the church exterior and<br />
interior. “Situated in Coorg on a<br />
coffee plantation, a Manderley<br />
(Rebecca) sort of place, we shot<br />
there for 60 days at a stretch<br />
without any outside disturbance,”<br />
shares Palit.<br />
Actually with this sort of a film it<br />
is impossible to cover the entire<br />
gamut of shots that were created,<br />
but one can just try to recapture the<br />
most interesting bits of the film as<br />
it unfolds before one’s eyes. The<br />
most important characteristic<br />
of Palit’s camera is that a large<br />
part of it is shot hand-held. “After making over<br />
100 documentaries, I cannot remember when<br />
I last used a tripod. To me the camera is an<br />
extension of my body. As I said earlier, fiction<br />
is now borrowing from documentary. Cameramovement<br />
now has become very fluid, it helps<br />
the director and actors. The whole rhythm of a<br />
film gets broken if you use too many separate<br />
shots. Small subtle movements are much nicer,”<br />
says Palit.<br />
As a matter of fact the total characteristics of<br />
lighting become different as one moves from<br />
location to location, from the perspective shots of<br />
a Kashmir garden to the open sea at Pondicherry.<br />
One really has to see the film to realise the full<br />
potential of Palit’s camera-work. “One has to<br />
limit paraphernalia when Actors are seriously<br />
Ranjan Palit on why <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
makes a difference?<br />
For the entire film I used <strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 3, 250D for<br />
daylight exterior shootings and 500T for night<br />
exterior without any correction filter. I don’t use<br />
an 85 filter as the camera becomes heavy with its<br />
accompanying matte-box. Only <strong>Kodak</strong> stock can<br />
handle such situations, as I feel it has great colour<br />
latitude. Minute corrections if required can be<br />
handled in the lab. No other stock I believe, can<br />
give me this kind of colour latitude.<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 3, 500T is one of the best that I have<br />
ever used. Even when underexposed by half or even<br />
a full stop, no grain is visible at all. Prior to this we<br />
had grains if we pushed. I used Vision 3, 500T<br />
for the sky at the end of the film, where night turns<br />
to twilight.<br />
In the machan jungle scene where she takes the<br />
Russian towards the well at night, or where they<br />
kill Irrfan, on a moonlight night, on snow, I have<br />
underexposed highlights by two stops, shadows by<br />
five stops, and <strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 3, 500T gave me detail,<br />
in the shadows.<br />
acting – it interferes with their<br />
work. They are free to move as they<br />
like, the same goes for the director.<br />
He can go anywhere… the camera<br />
is like a character, interacting with<br />
the Actors! My camera is reacting to<br />
the movement spontaneously – that<br />
is an outcome of my documentary<br />
background,” adds Palit.<br />
‘‘Being a filmmaker has certainly<br />
helped – it should be the director’s<br />
vision. I don’t want the camera<br />
to come in the way,” says Palit.<br />
“Bharadwaj and I have a beautiful<br />
chemistry. He is the nicest filmmaker<br />
I have ever worked with, and this<br />
was the best shoot of my life.”<br />
I
On the sets of Ready<br />
MUMBAI<br />
ORiginAL<br />
PERCEPTiOn<br />
An enthusiastic still photographer from early years, filmmaking for DoP Sunil Patel is a collaborative process. A firm believer in<br />
planning, according to Patel today’s images are born out of a different thinking and criteria than those of yesteryears, and this has a<br />
F<br />
or Sunil Patel, cinematography was a natural progression<br />
from one artistic activity to another. An enthusiastic still<br />
photographer from early years, on completion of his<br />
Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Patel took up another<br />
Bachelor’s course in Photography at the Harrow College,<br />
Middlesex Polytechnic in UK. The kind of creative exposure<br />
that he had there, coming in contact with the latest trends and<br />
advances in photography ultimately led him to take up cinematography as<br />
a profession. According to him, “a new approach to my career was logical<br />
and appealing”.<br />
Working out of Mumbai, where technology and ideas bombard a<br />
cinematographer’s psyche, Patel is at ease. “Generally one is aware of<br />
the advances made in any particular field through dedicated speciality<br />
books and magazines. Cinematography, like any other profession,<br />
requires regular update to stay abreast with the technological and aesthetic<br />
achievements of our colleagues in other parts of the world. It is important<br />
to realise that someone, somewhere is facing a similar situation like you,<br />
direct bearing on the way we make films today.<br />
and that someone out there has already found a possible solution to your<br />
problem,” he says.<br />
Patel’s work for all these years has been main stream Hindi masala<br />
movies. “I think it is a matter of perception of what one considers a<br />
‘masala’ film – it caters to a real demand,” he says. “It’s another thing<br />
that you may personally not agree with it; but most films that I have<br />
worked on have had my real dedication to it, even if my opinions have not<br />
been accepted,” he adds. “I have worked with directors who have been<br />
very passionate about their stories and would not want to compromise,”<br />
says Patel. “I think it is my duty to be at his/her side and help him/her<br />
realise their film on screen. I have come to realise that if one improves<br />
the quality of his/her argument, there will emerge a more meaningful<br />
film,” he says.<br />
On the matter of the basic approach to cinematography changing over<br />
the years, Patel says, “Not in as much as the technique, as the reason for<br />
which images are created today. Today’s images are born out of different<br />
thinking and criteria than those of yesteryears. This of course, has a<br />
5
6<br />
MUMBAI<br />
bearing on the way we make films today.”<br />
For his professional requirements, Patel often has to visit remote places<br />
such as the interiors of Punjab. Commenting on how he copes with such<br />
situations he says, “locations, unlike sets, need to be exploited for what<br />
they have to offer for the film. Scouting the right place for your film not<br />
only adds to the film but also saves money for the production. However,<br />
an important thing to bear in mind is that most locations are not used to<br />
having people moving around with cameras,” says Patel. “People are not<br />
used to a film crew, so it is important to consider all possible reactions<br />
and consequences of our activities, especially in places of religious<br />
worship, or orthodox cultures. One crew’s behaviour often dictates<br />
the reception that subsequent filmmakers<br />
would receive”.<br />
About planning his lighting, choice of<br />
lenses, camera angles to suit his location, he<br />
says, “in present times, planning is perhaps<br />
the single-most factor that affects almost<br />
every department’s work and results in the<br />
film industry. Unfortunately, we are still<br />
grappling with the concept of planning and<br />
execution. I hear these words every day<br />
but as far as cinematography goes, there<br />
is little gross disciplinary understanding<br />
amongst technicians. We also seem to<br />
blame such shortfalls on the budget<br />
Technical Specifications<br />
Film Ready<br />
Director Anees Bazmee<br />
Producer T-series, Rawail Grandsons<br />
Stock <strong>Kodak</strong> 5213, 5201<br />
We make films to tell<br />
stories and not discuss<br />
resolution. In my opinion,<br />
film has enough appeal<br />
to survive the onslaught<br />
of the digital revolution.<br />
What I would like to see is<br />
a peaceful co-existence<br />
of both.<br />
restrictions. But for any given film there is never enough time and money,”<br />
he adds. “I, on my part, have developed a system of making notes and ideas<br />
and thoughts that come to me during location scouting, set constructions<br />
or visits to a location. I bounce these off immediately to my director and<br />
see his/her reaction. This gives me a further insight into what the director<br />
thinks of his/her project. It is important to have the right mindset during<br />
the initial planning days of any project,” says Patel. According to Patel film<br />
resolution surpasses most digital images many times over. “We make films<br />
to tell stories and not discuss resolution,” he says. “In my opinion, film has<br />
enough appeal to survive the onslaught of the digital revolution. What I<br />
would like to see is a peaceful co-existence of both,” he adds. “Filmmaking<br />
is a collaborative process,” he concludes.<br />
At present Patel is shooting film Ready,<br />
directed by Anees Bazmee, produced<br />
by T-series and Rajat Rawail, starring<br />
Salman Khan, Asin, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh<br />
Manjarekar, Arya Babbar and Puneet Isar.<br />
He has also signed two other films – one<br />
Marathi, as yet unnamed, directed by Girish<br />
Joshi, scheduled to be shot in April 2011<br />
and another with Kunal Kohli Productions,<br />
also unnamed, to be directed by Kunal<br />
Kohli and produced by Eros International,<br />
scheduled for shooting between May to<br />
August 2011.<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> never fails me.”<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> spells Confidence with a capital C. It is<br />
reliable and has a variety that caters to industry<br />
needs. It has established a trust by listening to the<br />
feedback from its end users that almost equates to<br />
faith in its technology and innovation.<br />
My favourite stock is the Vision 3, 5213. It suits<br />
our conditions well. And with the current obsession<br />
for super 35 with 2.35:1 extraction, it is the optimal<br />
medium grain stock. Though I also love the 50D<br />
stock, 200T is more versatile.<br />
Top light for me is not a problem anymore. I have<br />
experimented and innovated techniques that give<br />
adequate freedom in such conditions. <strong>Kodak</strong> is the<br />
ideal stock which I have used over the years and<br />
shall continue to do so. <strong>Kodak</strong> never fails me.<br />
I
On the sets of Bumboo<br />
ChaLLenGe<br />
ACCEPTED<br />
MUMBAI<br />
Having being born and raised in an environment where cinema took centre stage, Sanjay C Nair opted for cinematography as a<br />
profession because he knew that’s where his calling was. A disciplinarian, Nair has worked extensively and has interesting observations<br />
about why ‘film’ still rules as a medium for his profession. According to Nair, the most challenging aspect of a cinematographer’s duty<br />
is to achieve the final look of the film, and <strong>Kodak</strong> he feels has stood the test of time.<br />
V<br />
eteran cinematographer Sanjay C Nair hails from a<br />
family where cinema forms an essential part of the family<br />
tradition. The youngest of a family of graduates from<br />
the Film and Television<br />
Institute, Pune (FTII),<br />
his father Chandrasekhar<br />
Nair was the head of<br />
the department of direction at FTII. His<br />
sister Manjusha and his brother-in-law too<br />
graduated in 1986 in Editing and Direction.<br />
So, the milieu of cinema is something that<br />
he grew up with.<br />
His father has had a tremendous influence<br />
on him as a child, and from the tender age<br />
of eight, he grew up watching films of<br />
great masters of cinema such as Kurosawa,<br />
Hitchcock, Truffaut and Ray, to name a<br />
few. Through the growing years, Nair was<br />
always around edit rooms, dubbing studios,<br />
music studios, shoots, scripting sessions – basically the whole spectrum<br />
of filmmaking. “Watching films, observing how films were made, reading<br />
about films, were all a part of growing up,” he says.<br />
Since he had a technical bend, it was almost like a family decision that<br />
cinematography would suit him best. “At first I had great reservations<br />
about being thrust with this career decision but my exposure to leading<br />
I have conducted tests<br />
comparing mother<br />
negative to DI negative<br />
prints, wherein I<br />
personally feel the loss<br />
of resolution and depth<br />
from mother to digital is<br />
very much quantifiable<br />
and noticeable even to a<br />
layman’s eyes.<br />
cinematographers brought within me a great fascination for the art and<br />
craft of cinematography,” he says. “I started working from the age of 17<br />
as an Assistant director but the pull of cinematography was too strong for<br />
me in almost all the projects I worked in.”<br />
Having spent a few months at Kamlakar<br />
Rao’s workshop, Cintronics, where film<br />
cameras are brought in for repair and<br />
maintenance, Nair prepared for the entrance<br />
exam of FTII. Sitting there surrounded by<br />
cameras and lenses, it suddenly dawned on<br />
him that he had finally made a decision for<br />
life.<br />
Nair has worked on film analogue and<br />
digital systems respectively. According to<br />
Nair, film scores over digital in terms of<br />
resolution and depth, as digital loses the<br />
race in detail and its obvious flatness of the<br />
image. However, digital scores over film in<br />
terms of speed of process, overall control of<br />
the image and image manipulation through SFX and DI. Film analogue<br />
process has stringent demands of the experience and tests the mettle of<br />
the cinematographer, whereas the digital process extends its favour to<br />
cover the blemishes of even the most inexperienced one, to make even a<br />
mediocre level of work look credible. This has brought a dynamic change<br />
in the way film makers of today view the role of a cinematographer the<br />
7
8 MUMBAI<br />
film making process. “At some levels the cinematographer has been<br />
reduced to being an image capture technician while all else is dealt with<br />
in post,” says Nair. “I have conducted tests comparing mother negative<br />
to DI negative prints, wherein I personally feel the loss of resolution and<br />
depth from mother to digital is very much quantifiable and noticeable<br />
even to a layman’s eyes,” he adds. The choice to do a film on digital,<br />
Nair correctly points out should be script driven rather than just budget<br />
centric. “For example a film such as Harry Potter works well on digital<br />
format, but a Monsoon Wedding doesn’t. One needs to use the best of<br />
both worlds and though a large part of my negative remains original,<br />
the SFX, optical and titles are handled through the Digital realm nowa-days,”<br />
he says.<br />
Where planning a film is concerned, Nair cites specific examples. “Since<br />
Joggers’ Park I undertake several tests for each film that I do – lens<br />
tests, stock, filter, camera, lab, DI, SFX, lighting and look tests, all of<br />
which I print and check,” he says. “Working with directors who want to<br />
have a say in the final look, I make a print of all the tests and show it to<br />
the director/producer, so we know that we are on the same page before<br />
going on the floor,” he says.<br />
Reminiscing about the most interesting assignments of his life, Nair<br />
says, “For his film Paranoia Bijesh Jayrajan was particular that the<br />
primary colour would be a deep blue. Considering the subject was hard<br />
and real, there was a need for extreme contrast and deep shadows with<br />
rich blacks,” says Nair. “I decided to try <strong>Kodak</strong> for the two different<br />
looks of the film. I have pulled the stock to its limits – underexposing,<br />
with bare fills (mostly none) and highlights sometimes touching a cool<br />
five stops over. The telecine looks good; the proof of the pudding will<br />
be in the print which I await with bated breath,” he says.<br />
Bumboo though a straightforward action comedy film has most of its<br />
action, set in a set which has to be matched to a real location, which<br />
poses its own challenges. “I felt Bumboo was a mix of colours such as<br />
limegreen and orange,” shares Nair. “In our primary discussion director<br />
Jagdish Rajpurohit and I were clear of the fact that it was a bright and<br />
good looking film. My obvious choice was to go to <strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 3 stock<br />
and that is what I did. The telecine looks good. Let’s hope I am able to<br />
translate the same onto print, considering that Bumboo is planned to be<br />
a non-DI film, where only the CG and opticals would be DI. Adlabs has<br />
been extremely supportive of my constant cranky requests for repeated<br />
test prints, which have all been very satisfying,” he says.<br />
To Nair, the most daunting aspect of a cinematographer’s duty is to work<br />
within the parameters of the film and achieve the desired final look. Many<br />
a time it so happens that the cinematographer has to put his preferences<br />
aside and use a high speed film at the dying hours of the day so that the<br />
day’s work is completed. “Though earlier I had great reservations about<br />
doing things like this, I found that <strong>Kodak</strong> 500T Vision 2 served me very<br />
well to do away the possibility of a mismatch with 200T Vision 2. Intercut<br />
with each other the difference was barely noticeable. Of course I tried<br />
not to mix 100T grain structure in the work flow, intuitively I have felt<br />
the difference would then be noticeable, though I have not yet had the<br />
opportunity of so doing,” he concludes.<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> offers barely any<br />
grain in low light.”<br />
For the film Uladhaal, one particular scene is set in<br />
1654. The king hands over a golden shield to the family<br />
of the loyal Chieftain as a mark of respect. It was a<br />
scene I particularly set in night exterior, where the only<br />
source of light would be the mashaals. I requested for<br />
special make-up for the artists. I barely had an exposure<br />
at such low light conditions. But I went ahead and shot<br />
the scene with just an addition bounce dimmed down<br />
to FO.7, while I shot the scene at F 2.8. The results are<br />
for all to see. The faces are appropriately exposed and<br />
the highlights of the mashaals in frame do not flare out.<br />
Barely any grain – that is <strong>Kodak</strong> 500T Vision 2 for you!<br />
I have shot two films with <strong>Kodak</strong>, Joggers’ Park and the<br />
big budget Marathi film Uladhaal. Two of the others are<br />
under production – Paranoia and Bumboo. All of them<br />
have been shot on <strong>Kodak</strong>. <strong>Kodak</strong> has worked extremely<br />
well and has done justice to the themes of these films.<br />
For Joggers’ Park my objective was to have a real feel<br />
but still retain the romance. I decided to play it safe<br />
with <strong>Kodak</strong> for a glamorous, soft look. For glamour,<br />
softness and a dream-like look I have always associated<br />
with <strong>Kodak</strong>.<br />
I
Raja Satankar believes<br />
that each project brings<br />
with it – challenges<br />
and possibilities. He<br />
tries to understand the<br />
director’s vision before<br />
working on the look of<br />
a film. The new wave<br />
of people entering<br />
the business today,<br />
are sure changing<br />
the environment, but<br />
according to him<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> will remain his<br />
evergreen choice.<br />
Mi Amruta Boltey<br />
MUMBAI<br />
different<br />
OUTLOOK<br />
C<br />
inematographer Raja Satankar is a very perceptive artist. “I way,” he reiterates. “Each director is opening up interesting areas of thought<br />
feel that every single director has a different way of looking at through their films. And where I am concerned, I must say it is not essential<br />
things,” he says. “So each film our new young Marathi directors that every single film should and must be thought-provoking. There are<br />
are making is different in its outlook and message,” he adds. times when only straight entertainment works,” he says. “Film, to me is also<br />
The industry has seen many people from diverse backgrounds an important tool for entertainment. Watching a movie can also be good,<br />
coming in with new ideas of storytelling and filming using new plain fun and I see no harm in it.”<br />
equipment and techniques. “Each one is unique in his own Interestingly enough Satankar began his creative journey in Marathi theatre<br />
Jatra Jatra Jatra Mi Amruta Boltey<br />
9
10<br />
MUMBAI<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> is the best and the only stock I want to use. It has a wide range which helps us to do a lot of innovative work. Not only that,<br />
with the passage of time <strong>Kodak</strong> is improving on its available raw stocks and making changes as per technicians’ requirements. At<br />
the moment <strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 3 is the best available stock in the market. As a cinematographer I feel <strong>Kodak</strong> prints the best colours in<br />
any old weather and lighting conditions, be it indoors, outdoors, day or night, whatever. Not only that, <strong>Kodak</strong> gives me a kind of<br />
rich gloss which is a basic requirement of the general look of the Marathi cinema at this juncture in time. Where use of raw stocks<br />
is concerned, I use 250D for day. My most favourite stock is 500T with which I have taken several twilight shots. This gives me<br />
natural colours without having to go for colour corrections and it enhances the gloss also. Till date I have used only <strong>Kodak</strong> and<br />
no other stock. One interesting aspect of using <strong>Kodak</strong> is that it gives me no matching problems when I am shooting outdoors and<br />
indoors simultaneously. Even in my upcoming projects, I am using only <strong>Kodak</strong>.<br />
at Pune. It was this background in theatre that<br />
finally led him to cinema, and more particularly<br />
– cinematography. Satankar was involved in<br />
several areas of theatre then – ranging from<br />
acting, direction, lighting and backstage work.<br />
He gravitated towards stage lighting – the<br />
interplay of light and shade, which ultimately<br />
resulted in his decision to concentrate on<br />
cinematography.<br />
Commenting on how the new age Marathi<br />
films are different from the average Hindi<br />
masala films, Satankar says, “Maharashtra has<br />
an excellent backdrop of well-known writers<br />
and the tradition of Marathi literature is very<br />
rich and time-honoured. Hence, with such a<br />
vast storehouse of literature, our directors, both<br />
young and old, have an extensive base to draw<br />
inspiration,” he adds.<br />
Elaborating on his working methodology,<br />
Satankar says he is a stickler for planning. “No<br />
one can work or plan a film without concentrating<br />
first on its story. The story is all-important,”<br />
he says. “It’s also important to understand the<br />
director’s concepts and hear what he/she has to<br />
say,” he adds. The story and what the director<br />
has to say are like the two major poles of the<br />
film which need to converge. “Keeping this in<br />
mind, one has to work towards it,” he says.<br />
As far as his inputs on a film are concerned,<br />
Satankar first sits with the director and listens<br />
carefully not only the story but also to try and<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> helps me innovate.”<br />
find out what the director wants to convey – his<br />
personal message through the film.<br />
“Only after this meeting do I sit and concentrate on<br />
the ‘film look’,” he says. All of this involves a lot of<br />
coordination between him, the entire art direction<br />
Each director is opening<br />
up interesting areas of<br />
thought through their<br />
films. And where I am<br />
concerned, I must say<br />
it is not essential that<br />
every single film should<br />
and must be<br />
thought-provoking.<br />
team as also the costume designing department,<br />
as these elements contribute the maximum to the<br />
final look on screen. “After I know what sort of<br />
colour combinations they are going to use in the<br />
sets and costumes of the film, I start planning my<br />
own lighting design. I want to create films which<br />
should look nice in the eyes of my audience,”<br />
says Satankar.<br />
Satankar, is unable to pinpoint his most challenging<br />
assignment so far. According to him each new film<br />
brings with it a new set of challenges. “With every<br />
new film I like to explore the possibilities it brings<br />
as a cinematographer,” concludes Satankar.<br />
His current projects include Mama Bhacha, Dham<br />
Dhoom and President. He is also in the process of<br />
scripting his directorial venture – a horror film for<br />
which he intends to use <strong>Kodak</strong> stock for daylight<br />
and low light without the use of additional lights.<br />
I
MUMBAI<br />
11<br />
HEART’SDesire<br />
Bhojpuri and Gujarati cinema know Shamshad Ahmed as Shaad Kumar, a cinematographer today who has literally climbed up the<br />
rungs in this industry because of his commitment and dedication to the art and craft of cinematography. A simple person at heart, Kumar<br />
well understands that deadlines and budgets are two important pillars that support this enormous industry.<br />
“My parents wanted me to<br />
become a doctor”, says veteran<br />
cinematographer Shamshad<br />
Ahmed better known as Shaad<br />
Kumar, a much-admired name<br />
in Bhojpuri and Gujarati<br />
cinema today. One day, simply<br />
by chance Kumar went to see a film shoot in<br />
his inter-college days. The young man was so<br />
fascinated by the filmmaking process, that he<br />
decided to join the film industry against his<br />
parents’ wishes and shifted to Mumbai.<br />
Interestingly enough, the first job he could<br />
manage was not that of an assistant cameraman<br />
but rather that of a production manager in Kamal<br />
Mukut’s film Nargis. But the job did not satisfy<br />
In an average<br />
Hindi movie the<br />
cinematographer can<br />
afford to take just two<br />
to three scenes in the<br />
wide time-span of an<br />
entire day. But when<br />
you come to Bhojpuri<br />
films, we are compelled<br />
to film six to eight<br />
scenes within a day.<br />
him at all. Finally, he managed to shift to the<br />
camera department where his job was to set<br />
the trolleys, sockets and so on. “I really started<br />
enjoying my work as an active component of<br />
the filmmaking process. I realised this is where<br />
my heart wants to be. And so began my journey<br />
to train myself as a cinematographer,” he says.<br />
His first independent venture as a<br />
cinematographer was a Bhojpuri film Mahua<br />
made in 2004. “The highlight of this film was<br />
that our famous political leader and then the<br />
Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav<br />
appeared in this film,” he recalls. “When we<br />
arranged the shot, put all the lights on with<br />
reflectors set all around, the strong light<br />
dazzled Laluji so much, that he could hardly
12<br />
MUMBAI<br />
open his eyes. I saw the situation, and decided<br />
to soften the exposure that was disturbing him.<br />
I brought in a lot of thermocol, with which I<br />
bounced the strong hard light coming from<br />
the reflectors, and then did my shooting. This<br />
was, you can say, a learning experience for all<br />
cinematographers,” says Kumar.<br />
According to Kumar, the basic difference<br />
between Hindi and Bhojpuri movies is the<br />
budgets they operate on. A Hindi film gets a<br />
huge budget, amounting to crores of rupees.<br />
But for those working in the Bhojpuri cinema<br />
budget is a big constraint. They have to work<br />
within limited budgets. Naturally the timeframe<br />
within which they have to complete<br />
their work is also very limited. “In an average<br />
Hindi movie the cinematographer can afford<br />
to take just two to three scenes in the wide<br />
time-span of an entire day,” he says. “But<br />
when you come to Bhojpuri films, we have<br />
to, or rather are compelled to film six to eight<br />
scenes within a day,” he says. “Naturally for<br />
lighting also, this situation is applicable. I<br />
simply cannot afford to sit back and plan my<br />
lighting at my own leisure. I know time is<br />
running out and so is the producer’s money.<br />
I have to be fast and take quick decisions and<br />
plan my lighting in such a way that time is not<br />
wasted,” adds Kumar.<br />
Another important feature of Bhojpuri cinema,<br />
according to Kumar, is that the release dates are<br />
fixed. So the cinematographers have to keep<br />
that in mind. “I must finish my entire shooting<br />
within the stipulated period so that the film gets<br />
released in time,” he says.<br />
Kumar feels that planning his camera-angles,<br />
lenses, lighting really depends on the story. The<br />
kind of scenes they want to visualise, what the<br />
situation is like, whether it is a serious or a light<br />
one, all govern his subsequent plan of lighting,<br />
creation of a particular mood by use of lighting,<br />
choice of the lenses and so on. “My use of light<br />
and shade to create a mood would also depend<br />
on the kind of material I am going to shoot with,<br />
what the results should look like and what we<br />
are aiming to create on screen.”<br />
Kumar works for Gujarati cinema as well.<br />
As a place Gujarat has the most interesting<br />
landscapes, with a combination of planes, rivers<br />
such as Sabarmati, or even a hilly location such<br />
as Mount Abu. Kumar first conducts a thorough<br />
recee by visiting the location and then commits<br />
what he wants to do or how he could use the<br />
location best.<br />
The most challenging assignment in his life<br />
to date was during the shoot of the climax<br />
scene of the film Marathi film Kawadse. “We<br />
were shooting inside a room where there was<br />
practically no light, except a small lamp. The<br />
heroine and her daughter were just visible with<br />
the little light that was there which the lamp<br />
could give out. This became the source even<br />
for the heroine to cut her vegetables. The shot<br />
also included the hero who was sitting close<br />
to the window of the room. Apart from these<br />
three characters we also had an old man who<br />
was washing his hands in the wash-basin. The<br />
director decided to take a wide shot using all<br />
these characters and details, with only the little<br />
lamp as the single light source. Initially I was<br />
a bit apprehensive but I finally decided to go<br />
on with the shot using <strong>Kodak</strong> 500T stock and<br />
a 200 watt bulb as my only additional light. But<br />
since I was using <strong>Kodak</strong> stock, the shot came<br />
out very well,” he concludes. One of Kumar’s<br />
preferred shots to create a visual effect is a really<br />
low angle shot.<br />
His current projects include Bhail Tohra Se Pyar<br />
and Kaali Pandey in Bhojpuri.<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> offers maximum range”<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> negative gives a lot of range.<br />
For instance if we arrange a wide shot<br />
then the clarity and details that we get<br />
on the face of a character compliments<br />
with the detailing of the background<br />
and if there is greenery and flowers<br />
in the background then you get to see<br />
the details of both. This kind of the total<br />
mise-en-scene of a wide shot is possible<br />
only in <strong>Kodak</strong> stock.<br />
The best time to shoot for me is from 7<br />
am to 11 am in the mornings. At this<br />
time the temperature of the sun is at<br />
its minimum. If we are shooting<br />
outdoors, then we can shoot using<br />
skimmers. After 11 am, the sun is<br />
directly overhead and this causes harsh<br />
shadows below the eyes on a<br />
character’s face.<br />
I
RChezhiyan is the kind of<br />
cinematographer who likes to<br />
concentrate on the screenplay<br />
of a film. “Screenplay is<br />
most important. It guides<br />
everything,” he says. “I go<br />
through the script with the<br />
director, and then I design the look of the film.<br />
I observe the characters and the location. And<br />
then I try my best to create the visual mood of<br />
the film,” he adds.<br />
Chezhiyan operates from Chennai and the<br />
moment of enlightenment came to him when<br />
as a child fascinated by the actors moving on<br />
screen, his father showed him how the images<br />
enlightened<br />
An avid admirer<br />
of paintings,<br />
cinematographer<br />
R Chezhiyan<br />
paints a portrait on<br />
celluloid whenever<br />
he wields the<br />
camera. He plays<br />
with light and<br />
shadow and as a<br />
director fulfils his<br />
life-long passion for<br />
visual poetry. As a<br />
passionate student<br />
of cinema Chezhiyan<br />
studies the structures<br />
of screenplay.<br />
When I go through the<br />
script it guides me to<br />
the choice of lenses and<br />
camera angles. I do a lot of<br />
homework before I shoot,<br />
studying the light on<br />
location, its ambience. My<br />
own intuition leads me to<br />
create the rest, including<br />
choice of raw-stock which<br />
is always <strong>Kodak</strong>.<br />
cHeNNAI<br />
are formed by the rays of light coming from<br />
the projector. This was the magic of cinema.<br />
From his school days Chezhiyan was a<br />
portrait painter. The passion for colours and<br />
shades which he used to create his images<br />
on paper led him to still photography. So,<br />
although he has a degree in civil engineering,<br />
his own constant urge to train himself in<br />
commercial photography led him to meet ace<br />
cameraman PC Sreeram who he joined as<br />
an assistant. After working with him for five<br />
years, Chezhiyan shot his debut film Kallori<br />
in 2007.<br />
Coming back to the script he says, “When I go<br />
through the script it guides me to the choice<br />
Moments<br />
Rettai-Chuzhi<br />
13
14<br />
cHeNNAI<br />
of lenses and camera angles. I do a lot of homework before I shoot,<br />
studying the light on location, its ambience. My own intuition leads<br />
me to create the rest, including choice of raw-stock which is always<br />
obviously <strong>Kodak</strong>.”<br />
Chezhiyan is very practical in his outlook towards cinematography. In<br />
realistic films the budget is low, but he never compromises. Although<br />
he cannot wait for anything and anytime of the day is ideal, he still<br />
tries his best. For the film Thenmarku Paruvaktru, the entire film was<br />
shot in April-May. Tamilnadu in summer was very hot – in the morning<br />
at 8 am the light is harsh, but at 4 pm when the sun is behind the hills<br />
is a good time to shoot. They exploited this situation in such a way,<br />
planning their schedule so that the entire film was shot in 36 days –<br />
without compromise.<br />
Chezhiyan’s conception of the visual approaches between a feature<br />
and a documentary is interesting. “In documentary the challenge is to<br />
handle non-actors, the light that one gets, the pre-existing image and<br />
adapt oneself to the situation” he says. “The visual approach should<br />
be to hide the mastery of one’s camera work. The camera should not<br />
become an obvious presence in the hands of the director,” Chezhiyan<br />
adds.<br />
To him, DI is a good tool. He knows the limits of techniques and<br />
where to use them, particularly in realistic films. Robert Bresson<br />
stressed the importance “of necessary images, not just beautiful ones.”<br />
So the thin line between necessary and beautiful is really important<br />
to comprehend. “Emotion is the scale to determine the need of<br />
technology,” says Chezhiyan.<br />
An avid art admirer of especially paintings, Chezhiyan almost tries<br />
to paint images on celluloid whenever he wields the camera. “I am<br />
directing and making documentary films and ad films where I play<br />
around with light and shade a lot,” he says. “As a cinematographer<br />
creating his own films, I am able to fulfill my life-long passion for<br />
visual poetry. As a passionate student of cinema I study the structures<br />
of screenplay,” he adds. He looks forward to directing more films in<br />
future.<br />
His latest projects are Rettai Chuzhi, Magilchi and Thenmarku<br />
Paruvaktaru.<br />
When shooting the last film, Chezhiyan encountered the most memorable<br />
and interesting incident of his life. “In Thenmarku Paruvaktaru, I<br />
was shooting night-exterior. The entire sequence was about thieving.<br />
According to the script the sequence takes place in moonlight,” he<br />
says. “So I had to contend with a minimum lighting source and then,<br />
to add to my headache, I needed some wide shots. But since I was<br />
using <strong>Kodak</strong> stock, the results were beautiful. Once again <strong>Kodak</strong> did<br />
the impossible for me. <strong>Kodak</strong>, is thus the magic stock for me.”<br />
I<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> is another name for freedom.”<br />
When I am shooting, on the magazine cover itself my<br />
camera assistant sticks the label of <strong>Kodak</strong>. This gives<br />
me a kind of confidence and keeps my creative madness<br />
alive. <strong>Kodak</strong> for me is the other name for freedom. I can<br />
do anything with <strong>Kodak</strong>, even under expose up to five<br />
stops as I did in Thenmarku Pervaktaru for night<br />
exteriors. The black level and the density of the images<br />
at that exposure were marvellous.<br />
At night, 5219 is my choice. In Rettai Chuzhi I used 5217<br />
with 85 for the entire film. The colour reproductions of<br />
the hazy exteriors were superb. In Makizhchi and<br />
Thenmarku Paruvaktru I used 5201 in day exterior,<br />
5205 in evening and twilight. I am always more<br />
comfortable with available light. Because only through<br />
lighting can you determine and convey the time of the<br />
day. All of my four films are realistic films, particularly<br />
Thenmarku Pervaktru. I wanted to feel the flow of time<br />
during the shots. Mixing artificial light source can kill<br />
the mood of time and ambience. So I let it remain<br />
realistic, using available light.<br />
Technical Specifications<br />
Film Thenmarku Parvaktru (2010)<br />
Director Seenu Ramaswamy<br />
Producer Captain Shibu Issac<br />
Stock <strong>Kodak</strong> 5201, 5205, 5219
The ultimate aim of any cinematographer should be to create<br />
visually, images on celluloid which would convey the<br />
final message of the director, feels ace cinematographer M<br />
Sukumar. It is interesting to note that he is one of the few<br />
DoPs who wishes to remain absolutely in cinematography<br />
and has no intentions to direct a film.<br />
Interestingly enough, Sukumar started life as a<br />
CeLLuLoid<br />
POETRY<br />
still photographer. He worked with<br />
cinematographer Jeevan as an assistant still<br />
photographer for films Minsara Kanavu,<br />
Jeans, Minnale, Kakha Khaka, King,<br />
Samurai and Kokki. He became the main still<br />
photographer for films Dhool, Gik, Thiruda<br />
Thirudi, Majaa and Marghai. His interest and<br />
experience in still photography finally led him<br />
to cinematography and he started assisting<br />
cinematographer Balasubramanian for the<br />
film Azagia Tamil Magan. His origins in still<br />
photography contributed a lot towards his<br />
becoming one of the best cinematographers<br />
in India today.<br />
As a cinematographer working out of a<br />
place like Hyderabad, which is famous for<br />
its film culture and the facilities it offers to<br />
I like a place like<br />
Ramoji Film City for<br />
the convenience I get<br />
there for my work.<br />
The place has massive<br />
floors, modern state<br />
of the art cameras,<br />
complete with excellent<br />
technicians, good labs,<br />
as well as excellent<br />
accommodation facilities<br />
which help us to stay<br />
and work there 17 hours<br />
a day if necessary.<br />
cHeNNAI<br />
cinema-workers all over India, Sukumar says, “I like a place like Ramoji<br />
Film City for the convenience I get there for my work. The place has<br />
massive floors, modern state of the art cameras, complete with excellent<br />
technicians, good labs, as well as excellent accommodation facilities<br />
which help us to stay and work there 17 hours a day if necessary.”<br />
For him storytelling through images is important, but the impulse to use<br />
celluloid to create a visual verse on the silver screen using his imagination<br />
For DoP M Sukumar storytelling through images is<br />
important, but the impulse to use celluloid to create a<br />
visual verse on the silver screen using his imagination and<br />
creativity is equally appealing. He likes to be in control<br />
of the shot and prefers studio shoots where he is better<br />
prepared to handle unforeseen circumstances rather than<br />
on location where you have to be at all times prepared for<br />
any eventuality.<br />
and creativity is equally appealing. For<br />
commercial movies his entire approach is<br />
different, because then he has to create smart,<br />
bright images which draw audiences.<br />
Sukumar lays great stress on the director’s<br />
point of view. Every day, before shooting<br />
he discusses the various shots, how to plan<br />
and shoot them, the camera angles, lenses<br />
to be used and so on. Post this discussion<br />
he finalises the way of shooting and what<br />
lenses he must use.<br />
“Studios such as Ramoji Film City, AVM<br />
are better than locations because inside a<br />
studio, the lighting is in my control. I can<br />
plan better, because I am using the lights the<br />
studios supply me with. In fact, I feel that<br />
these lights are much better than natural or<br />
Mynaa<br />
15
16<br />
cHeNNAI<br />
available light. I prefer studio lights. A studio set-up is easier to work with<br />
than locations.”<br />
He prefers pre-planning his work rather than improvising on-the-spot.<br />
He sits with his director for a script reading session. As he listens, he<br />
visualises images. It is during these discussions that he plans his gear<br />
and camera-angles. For his latest film Mynaa, he even used a storyboard,<br />
much like the way an animation filmmaker makes visual or pictorial<br />
short-hand notes of the story when he or she is scripting. This initial<br />
pre-planning helps him during shooting, because he is ready to cope<br />
with the other problems which may arise during shooting.”Although I<br />
have not shot any documentaries, I personally feel my filming style is<br />
somewhere near to the spirit of a documentary, my images speak for<br />
themselves,” he says.<br />
Mynaa for him was a challenging project. “In this film we mostly<br />
used natural lights and very few studio lights,” he says. The film was<br />
shot using available or natural light as a source and this poses its own<br />
challenges. With the time of the day varying, the light levels may change<br />
and unplanned situations can creep in. “We may have to wait for the sun<br />
to come out, and so on. Mynaa was also shot inside a dense forest where<br />
we couldn’t take lights, or generators. I was completely dependent on<br />
sunlight, it was very tough working in Mynaa and a real<br />
challenge for me,” says Sukumar.<br />
According to him a DI puts him in the driver’s seat. “I can control,<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> provides great latitude.”<br />
Over the last ten years of my career, <strong>Kodak</strong> is the best raw<br />
stock I’ve used. We get correct colours and so during colour<br />
correction my work becomes much easier with <strong>Kodak</strong> stock. It<br />
offers great latitude, for shooting in low light as well and using<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> is the most convenient way out. It is highly dependable<br />
because with <strong>Kodak</strong> I know the results would come out perfect.<br />
The black levels are perfect. For early mornings we use 5207,<br />
for evenings 5207. For nights 5219 is a very dependable raw<br />
stock from <strong>Kodak</strong>.<br />
colour correct my images, and if necessary use computer graphics as well.<br />
One can do a lot of things in DI, but it should be used correctly,” he says.<br />
“Where my current projects are concerned, Mynaa released in 2010,<br />
Konjam Veyil Konjam is yet to be released, and other projects are in preproduction,”<br />
he says.<br />
Technical Specifications<br />
Film Mynaa<br />
Director Prabhusolomon<br />
Producer John Max<br />
Stock <strong>Kodak</strong> 5201, 5207, 5219<br />
I
Armed with a Bachelors’ degree in Visual Communication<br />
from Loyola College, Chennai and specialising in<br />
advertising photography, cinematography for Soundar<br />
Rajan S, was the natural<br />
progression in his career<br />
path. The rigorous training<br />
in creating effective images<br />
to captivate a buyers’ attention so that he or<br />
she would almost feel compelled to buy the<br />
product advertised, has stood him in good<br />
stead. “I wanted my images to move and tell<br />
stories, rather than arrest a moment” he says.<br />
“Hence I wanted to learn cinematography.”<br />
And what better way to learn the ropes than to<br />
apprentice with a cinematographer himself?<br />
When Rajan approached PC Sreeram and<br />
showed him his portfolio, he did not receive<br />
such a warm welcome initially. “At first<br />
The creative challenge<br />
of a cinematographer<br />
lies in metaphorically<br />
projecting the written<br />
word. The style can be<br />
complicated, simple or<br />
realistic, depending on<br />
the script and the vision<br />
of the director.<br />
HYDerABAD<br />
17<br />
RECREATing reality<br />
Soundar Rajan S is the kind of cinematographer for whom the play with presence and absence of light, deciding what to show<br />
the audience in the frame, creative control of light and shadow enhances the cinema experience. To him, the ideal qualities of a<br />
cinematographer should be to keep technology as the slave and not the master. Rajan gravitated towards cinematography from being<br />
a still photographer, as he wanted his images to move and tell stories, rather than arrest a moment.<br />
he refused to see the pictures,” recalls Rajan. But eventually when<br />
he got around to seeing them, he asked me, “Where did you recopy<br />
these from?”<br />
“I explained how I had managed to shoot<br />
each of those shots, some of which I<br />
achieved by cross processing,” says Rajan.<br />
With Sreeram, Rajan assisted KV Anand<br />
for almost eight years on films such as<br />
Mudhalvan, Nayak, Josh, Legend of<br />
Bhagat Singh and Khakee. Later he got an<br />
opportunity to shoot Anand’s directorial<br />
debut Kaana Kandaen. There has been no<br />
stopping Soundar ever since. He went on<br />
to shoot Tamil films such as Sukran, Aadhi,<br />
Arai enn 305 – il Kadavul, Bale Pandiya,<br />
Telugu films Billa, Anaganga-O-Dheeruder,<br />
and more than 200 ad films.<br />
“The creative challenge of a cinematographer
18<br />
HYDerABAD<br />
lies in metaphorically projecting the written word,” says Rajan. “The<br />
style can be complicated, simple or realistic, depending on the script<br />
and the vision of the director,” he adds. Looking at it that way, he is<br />
the sort of cinematographer who believes in close interaction with his<br />
director. Translating effectively the director’s visual design of the film<br />
on screen is to Soundar the main challenge. At the end, the look and feel<br />
of the film immediately reflects in the involvement of the audience and<br />
the mood of the film.<br />
According to Rajan, cinematography has definitely changed over the<br />
years, to accommodate the creativity of the filmmakers, helped by faster<br />
and competitive stocks and lenses. The technical advancements have<br />
given a great deal of freedom to the cinematographer to explore the art<br />
and science of filmmaking. “The advanced stocks of <strong>Kodak</strong>,” explains<br />
Soundar, “allows the audience to see life as it is being enacted on the<br />
streets, the real ‘feel’ of an outdoor shot,” he says. “It gives, at the same<br />
time the strength to a cinematographer, to play around with extreme<br />
latitude available to him, inside his frame.”<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> surprises me with quality.”<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> as a raw stock has given me a lot of confidence<br />
to experiment in the visual style of a film, through its<br />
range of stocks. Shooting when the light goes down,<br />
and the lead star is in a hurry to leave the set, I have<br />
always depended on <strong>Kodak</strong>. Matching the footage from<br />
low light situations is never a problem.<br />
DI is definitely a welcome change in the filmmaking<br />
process. I have used <strong>Kodak</strong> for shooting only with<br />
ambient light, low light conditions, bright and glossy<br />
ad films and for my recent film produced by Disney.<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> has always surprised me with quality. I have<br />
been a very loyal <strong>Kodak</strong> user from the beginning of<br />
my career.<br />
Rajan is the kind of cinematographer for whom the play with presence and<br />
absence of light, deciding what to show the audience in the frame, creative<br />
control of light and shadow enhances the cinema experience. To him, the<br />
ideal qualities of a cinematographer should be to keep the technology as<br />
the slave and not the master, use the limitations of the medium to creative<br />
advantage, and help the director to transform his vision on screen. Here<br />
is where he sees the initial training play a crucial role in the shaping of<br />
a true professional.“The role of a film school should be to make students<br />
technically sound and confident so that they can let their imagination run<br />
wild,” he says.<br />
Rajan is rightfully optimistic about film stock manufacturing companies<br />
such as <strong>Kodak</strong>. “<strong>Kodak</strong> films would survive for a long time to come as<br />
the digital mediums have still not provided the latitude and gloss of a<br />
film stock,” he says. “Film and digital as mediums would co-exist, but<br />
prints may very soon become extinct as every theatre is turning digital,”<br />
he says.<br />
Rajan is currently working on Anaganga-O-Dheerudu in Telugu produced<br />
by Walt Disney/Abode.<br />
Film<br />
Technical Specifications<br />
Anaganaga-O-Dheerudu (Telugu)<br />
Director Prakash Kovelamudi<br />
Producer WaltDisney/Abode<br />
Stock <strong>Kodak</strong> 5201, 5207, 5219<br />
I
On the sets of Gowri<br />
On the sets of Nuvvu Naaku Nacchav<br />
On the sets of Nuvvu Naaku Nacchav<br />
On the sets of Gowri<br />
HYDERABAD<br />
It was the aspiration of his friends which got PV Ravi Kishore<br />
of Sri Sravanthi Movies into the film industry. “Initially it<br />
was taken up as a business venture, but the stupendous<br />
success made me feel passionate towards film making and I<br />
have never looked back since,” says Kishore.<br />
A trained and qualified Chartered Accountant in 1976,<br />
Kishore worked for a public sector undertaking till the<br />
Capture on<br />
celluloid<br />
Sravanthi Ravi Kishore entered the Telugu film industry spurred by the<br />
drive of his friends. But when he tasted his first success with Ladies Tailor<br />
in 1986, he knew he had found his calling. Apart from the contribution of<br />
artists and technicians, the production values also play a vital role for the<br />
look of any film. With audiences demanding higher quality visual content,<br />
technology has progressed no doubt, but despite these evolutions, the<br />
future of film stock as a medium for shooting and archiving is quite solid<br />
according to Kishore.<br />
Audiences today are demanding high<br />
quality visuals and content. Films<br />
compete with alternate sources of<br />
entertainment available to them through<br />
HDTV, LCD and so on. DI plays a very<br />
important role in giving high quality<br />
visuals for theatre going audiences.<br />
commencement of his first production Ladies Tailor in 1986. “The<br />
objective of having my own production was to have liberty to produce<br />
film of my choice and taste. I am responsible to myself, and gains and<br />
pains all belong to me alone,” he says. Currently, films are still being<br />
produced by individuals in the south, as they were years ago, but the<br />
entry of business houses handling film production and distribution,<br />
(which has slowly set into main stream Hindi cinema production)<br />
is just-around-the-corner. “The corporate culture is setting into<br />
this industry gradually and is going to be the order of the day,”<br />
19
20<br />
HYDERABAD<br />
for presentation of visuals in the best way.<br />
Kishore produces films in Telugu. “It is the story line and characters<br />
around you that is the inspiration for me to make a film,” he says. One<br />
of the films he cites that was a challenge for him was the film Ready. “I<br />
had cast my nephew Ram as the hero,” he says. “There is vast difference<br />
in pressure while making films with outsiders as heroes and your own<br />
kith-and-kin doing the lead cast,” he adds.<br />
Kishore puts his best efforts while making any film. “For Ready,<br />
I had succeeded in getting the best from every one. It turned<br />
out to be a big success and eventually the subject is made in<br />
Kannada, Tamil and now even in Hindi with Salman Khan,”<br />
he says.<br />
Apart from the contribution of all artists and technicians, the production<br />
values according to Kishore play a vital role for the look of any film.<br />
Today DI is gaining importance and focus in the post process of a film.<br />
“Today audiences are demanding high quality visuals and content,”<br />
he says. “Films compete with alternate sources of entertainment<br />
available to them through HDTV, LCD and so on,” he adds. “DI plays<br />
a very important role in giving high quality visuals for theatre going<br />
audiences,” he says.<br />
says Kishore.<br />
Sri Sravanthi Movies is an envied name in Film shooting on picture<br />
Though change is a continuous process and<br />
one has to constantly update oneself with the<br />
the industry today. “Your success depends negative is going to evolution of trends from time to time, the<br />
on the percentage of rights and wrongs<br />
you do. It is only the question of survival<br />
in this industry and ‘how long’, depends<br />
stay put despite so<br />
many options available<br />
future of film stock as a medium for shooting<br />
and archiving is quite solid according to<br />
Kishore. “Film shooting on picture negative<br />
on your dedication and capability to catch for digital shooting is going to stay put, despite so many options<br />
the pulse of the audience,” he adds. No<br />
doubt Kishore agrees that a bit of luck<br />
also goes a long way. “We all tend to make<br />
– in view of the fact<br />
that the resolution is<br />
available for digital shooting – in view of<br />
the fact that the resolution is incomparable<br />
and real quality films can only be shot on<br />
mistakes in selection of subjects,” he incomparable and real the film stock,” he says. “Film making is<br />
says. “We always do it with a belief that<br />
whatever you do would be endorsed by the<br />
audience.”<br />
quality films can only be<br />
shot on the film stock.<br />
totally creative and it is only the quality and<br />
content that would make any film worth its<br />
name. Hence, in my opinion, business rules<br />
Commenting on film stock that he likes Film making is totally are not applicable to create a good film,”<br />
to use, Kishore is quick with his response<br />
and says, “The kind that capture the best<br />
visuals”. He uses <strong>Kodak</strong> film after film, as<br />
creative and it is only<br />
the quality and content<br />
he adds.<br />
Kishore’s desire is to make good films. This<br />
keeps him motivated. “To make good films<br />
he is convinced of the quality he can expect that would make any film and be proud of them when you look back<br />
from <strong>Kodak</strong>. According to him <strong>Kodak</strong> is<br />
popular among the producer, DoP, and the<br />
technical community of the industry as the<br />
worth its name. In my<br />
opinion, business rules<br />
– may be five years, may be ten years, may<br />
be ever, after they are made,” he says. “My<br />
personal philosophy is that whenever I make<br />
quality and innovations from <strong>Kodak</strong> over are not applicable to a film, I should survive to make one more<br />
time have kept up with the growing needs good film,” he concludes. I<br />
create a good film.
KM Vishnuvardhana is a stalwart of the Kannada film Industry, who believes<br />
that his work speaks for itself. He believes that a cinematographer needs to<br />
understand, be versatile and thereby adapt to changing circumstances. Having<br />
embraced the best of both worlds – analogue and digital, he trusts his personal<br />
creative thinking to gauge what would give him the best results according to<br />
the script.<br />
They mostly work behind<br />
the scenes. Away from the<br />
hyperbole and chutzpah that<br />
surround the glamour of silver<br />
screen. Their eyes glued to the<br />
viewfinder, their hands firm<br />
on the camera swivel, their<br />
imagination substituting for what millions<br />
would flock to the theatres to see on film. Yes<br />
for camera technicians, it is mostly an unsung<br />
behind-the-scenes job, but one which they<br />
carry on with aplomb, out of one single thing<br />
– love for their art and a pursuit of creativity<br />
entrenched in the grammatical verse of movie<br />
making.<br />
KM Vishnuvardhana is one such stalwart of the<br />
Kannada film Industry. Shy, reticent and painfully modest, he is an artiste<br />
who has let his work speak for his values and his verve, over the past decade<br />
or so.<br />
The choice of film stock<br />
for me depends very<br />
much on the subject, the<br />
location of the shoot,<br />
whether it’s being shot<br />
during night or day and<br />
then using my personal<br />
creative thinking to<br />
gauge what would give<br />
me the best results.<br />
BANGALORE<br />
True<br />
Colour<br />
Like all true works of excellence his efforts<br />
have not gone unnoticed. Testament to<br />
that fact is the Government of Karnataka’s<br />
felicitation for his superlative camera work in<br />
the film Neenyare in 2008.<br />
In 1994, Vishnuvardhana started his cinematic<br />
journey by completing his cinematography<br />
diploma from Sri Jayachamarajendra<br />
Polytechnic after doing SSLC. He then<br />
joined the team of cameraman BS Basavaraj<br />
and worked for eight years assistant to R<br />
Giri and Manjunath, all while figuring out<br />
his place in the craft of filming. Much later<br />
in the year 2003, it was the film Baithare<br />
Baithare which marked his transition to an<br />
independent filmmaker.<br />
But away from the kaleidoscope of colours that cameramen bring on to<br />
the screen, there is another world seeped in the technology of film stocks,<br />
camera angles, light sources and an understanding of what a film actually<br />
21
22<br />
BANGALORE<br />
requires for the camera to paint the canvas<br />
with realism. Realism that transports viewers<br />
to a magical word of make-belief where every<br />
colour is etched with the vibrancy of what we<br />
behold to the naked eye.<br />
For any camera technician, the film stock he<br />
uses is very much defined by his requirements<br />
and what the stock offers in terms of its<br />
technical efficacy. How good its storage options<br />
are, and how much clarity it really renders on<br />
the post production table are questions which<br />
every DoP must answer for himself. But for<br />
Vishnuvardhana these are the basics. “The<br />
choice of film stock for me depends very<br />
much on the subject, the location of the shoot,<br />
whether it’s being shot during night or day and<br />
then using my personal creative thinking to gauge<br />
what would give me the best results.”<br />
He cites the example of Neenyare shot extensively<br />
outdoors in the picturesque locales of Chikmagalur<br />
where the weather is perennially cloud stricken.<br />
The subject and locales of the film coupled with<br />
the director’s vision led him to believe that a film<br />
stock which would excel in low light and yet<br />
render true colour was needed. “I did not hesitate<br />
with my choice and settled for just one stock film<br />
– the <strong>Kodak</strong> 5218 Vision 2, 500T and the entire<br />
film was shot on it,” he says. This choice gave<br />
him enormous freedom to shoot in natural light<br />
without having to worry about low exposure or<br />
backlight compensation in Post Production.<br />
“Cinematography is a challenging job. Every<br />
moment the cinematographer needs to understand<br />
and have the ability to be versatile and adapt to<br />
circumstances. <strong>Kodak</strong> film stocks suit my style<br />
of film-making because I believe in true colour<br />
reproduction,” he says.<br />
“By virtue of their technology <strong>Kodak</strong> film stocks<br />
offer good latitude, and have an excellent negative<br />
response from low light to high light, which helps<br />
me blend the negatives to any situation, and to<br />
any condition. The result is an almost real life<br />
reproduction of true colour on the final edited<br />
format.”<br />
Every camera technician is predisposed to<br />
a particular style which is his signature, and<br />
Vishnuvardhana is no different. “I like golden,<br />
warm hues and tinges in my frames. Colours<br />
should represent warmth and be real, and for<br />
that stocks like <strong>Kodak</strong> 5219, Vision 3 500T or<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5213, Vision 3 200T or even <strong>Kodak</strong> 5207<br />
,Vision 3 250D are excellent, since they capture<br />
the warmth of colours effortlessly. But in certain<br />
cases depending on the requirement of the film<br />
and the scene I may be required to bend the light<br />
towards more bluish tinges and then I do have to<br />
make a choice from other film stocks,” he says.<br />
Vishnuvardhana is one of those artistes who have<br />
experienced the wind of change and embraced<br />
both forms of technology – analogue and digital,<br />
letting his experience guide him to use these to<br />
the best effect, depending on the requirement and<br />
versatility that each offers.<br />
“If you ask me personally I prefer analogue over<br />
digital. This is because the results are far better and<br />
real. You cannot compare digital with negative,<br />
because these are different mediums,” he says.<br />
The other very critical element for a technician is<br />
that of control. How much control does he have<br />
over his craft? In that realm, analogue scores<br />
over digital since from grain structure to pixels to<br />
true colour reproduction, every element that goes<br />
to defining a particular frame on film – is in my<br />
hands. “It lets me control my craft the way I want<br />
to, and that for me is of paramount importance<br />
when I am behind the lenses,” he adds.<br />
The debate rages on and so do the opinions. This<br />
is what makes it so interesting in a changing<br />
world where old meets new and technologies<br />
clash in a whirlpool of creativity, only to create<br />
something better, something new and artistes such<br />
as Vishnuvardhana carry forward that baton of<br />
creativity which lights up our movie theatres and<br />
give life to thousands of tinsel town dreams.<br />
Vishnuvardhana<br />
opts for <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
Ambient light (outdoor)<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5207 Vision 3 250D<br />
Ambient light (indoor)<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5219 Vision 3 500T<br />
Cloudy Weather<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5219 Vision 3 500T<br />
Night<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5219 Vision 3 500T<br />
Sunlight (noon)<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5207 Vision 3 250 D<br />
Dawn<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5219 Vision 3 500 T<br />
Twilight<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> 5219 Vision 3 500T<br />
I
“As long as the word cinema<br />
exists and films are made,<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> will remain in the<br />
market and give us fantastic<br />
raw-stocks to work with”, says<br />
Badal Sarkar one of the leading<br />
cinematographers in Bengal<br />
today.<br />
Sarkar intended to become a singer. He was a<br />
practicing still photographer who was deeply<br />
interested to study the way light was used<br />
to create images. His father and uncle were<br />
working at Indrapuri Studios in Kolkata as floor<br />
manager and floor-in-charge respectively. His<br />
father was not keen for him to join the studios,<br />
but Sarkar managed to enter Indrapuri Studios<br />
as a staff member with the help of Bimal<br />
Mukherjee and Kanai De. Here he studied the<br />
works of veterans such as Saumendu Roy, Ajay<br />
Kar, Bibhuti Laha and others work and with<br />
this sort of a backdrop Sarkar finally managed<br />
to end up as a cinematographer himself.<br />
If Badal Sarkar wasn’t a cinematographer, he would be a singer. A man<br />
deeply interested in how light is used to create images, Sarkar keeps turning<br />
out excellent pieces of cinema in spite of the heavy budgetary constraints that<br />
plaugue Bengal’s film industry. Candid enough to admit that digital makes<br />
certain exposure manipulations a lot easier, for Sarkar its film all the way.<br />
On the sets of Chha–E–Chhuti<br />
KOLKATA<br />
23<br />
Sarkar was involved as a DoP for the first mega<br />
television serial of Kolkata, Janani. Since then<br />
he has shot TV serials, before joining the film<br />
industry as an independent cinematographer.<br />
Lighting – a key factor that sets apart<br />
the boys from the men, is central to any<br />
cinematographer’s work. “Each single scene<br />
has its own mood,” says Sarkar. “I discuss it<br />
with my director the nuances to be expressed<br />
in a particular scene. What mood has to be<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong>’ll<br />
Remain
24<br />
KOLKATA<br />
conveyed with my camera angles, cameraplacing,<br />
lighting and lenses. In addition, I<br />
also have to consider the location, time of day<br />
and other variables,” he adds. “Finally, I trust<br />
my instinct and intuition.”<br />
External factors such as finance/budgets also<br />
have a serious implication on the decisions<br />
that a DoP could take. “For us in Bengal<br />
budget is always a big constraint,” admits<br />
Sarkar. “Each single lens has its own hiringcharges,<br />
mostly on the higher side. So, I have<br />
to keep that factor in mind as well and plan<br />
according to my budget. There are moments<br />
when I have to compromise. Even the choice<br />
of raw-stocks becomes an issue these days as<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> is versatile.”<br />
My first choice is always <strong>Kodak</strong>, as it is<br />
an extremely versatile stock. The kind<br />
of latitude, the blacks I get in <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
is fantastic. For low light <strong>Kodak</strong> is the<br />
ultimate solution. I use 500T for low<br />
light, for available light 250D or 50D<br />
for daylight. Say when I am shooting on<br />
a sea beach, or there is a scorching sun,<br />
I need 250D for these strong lighting<br />
conditions. Again when I am shooting<br />
in the mountains where the light-levels<br />
keep changing, for these unsure lighting<br />
conditions, 50D is very good for me. If I<br />
am shooting inside a building, I use 500T.<br />
Inside the studio, for day-sequences<br />
its 250D. In mountainous area where I<br />
get soft light, especially for commercial<br />
films I use 500T. <strong>Kodak</strong> stock gives me<br />
excellent contrast and to get this I use<br />
200T, also 100T. It all depends on the<br />
subject, how much I need the blacks, it<br />
really all depends on that, and the mood<br />
of the scene as well. My personal feeling<br />
is that since <strong>Kodak</strong> is constantly coming<br />
in with better and better stocks in the<br />
years to come, it would survive very well<br />
in the years to come.<br />
New technology is<br />
always welcome, but<br />
for me as a person,<br />
celluloid is the thing –<br />
the last word. I am not<br />
going to leave it for<br />
anything else.<br />
prices are rising day-by-day,” he adds.<br />
Change is intrinsic to life. The ones who<br />
succeed are those who are willing to accept<br />
change and keep an open mind to receive new<br />
ideas and evaluate them as per their needs.<br />
“New technology is always welcome, but for<br />
me as a person, celluloid is the thing – the last<br />
word. I am not going to leave it for anything<br />
else,” says Sarkar. He is candid enough to<br />
acknowledge that though digital has certainly<br />
made certain manipulations easy (exposure for<br />
example) and offers more scope, it needs to be<br />
understood and used properly. “It does give you<br />
a lot more scope, especially since film is getting<br />
more expensive now.”<br />
He remembers using digital in the film Trishna<br />
directed by Pritam Jalan. It certainly helped<br />
financially, but for him film stock remains the<br />
ultimate choice.<br />
Cube Projection is an emerging trend in Bengal<br />
and Sarkar admits that he does not like it at<br />
all. “Cube Projection kills all my interplays<br />
between light and shade, and the images come<br />
our looking flat. After the hard labour I go<br />
through creating my images, I hate to see my<br />
work projected this way. The output is not<br />
satisfactory.”<br />
Speaking about the future, Sarkar says, “<strong>Kodak</strong><br />
will definitely survive as there is no alternative<br />
to it. The great directors such as Buddhadeb<br />
Dasgupta, Sandip Ray, Rituparna Ghosh,<br />
Gautam Ghosh to name a few are all shooting<br />
on film...”<br />
A few films by Pinaki Chowdhury, Dulal De,<br />
Tapan Saha, Ratul Ganguly are on the anvil<br />
reveals Sarkar. I
KERALA<br />
25<br />
the maverickfilm<br />
maker<br />
Passion for movies drove<br />
Neerad right from the school<br />
days. While in high school<br />
he dreamt of becoming a<br />
director and wanted to join<br />
the prestigious FTII after<br />
graduation.<br />
He watched all kinds of movies without<br />
Cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Amal Neerad has several times pledged his<br />
sincere commitment towards mainstream cinema and never wants to be branded as<br />
an intellectual filmmaker. A graduate from Kolkata’s Satyajit Ray Film and Television<br />
Institute, Neerad’s worked as cinematographer with Varma Corporation and finally<br />
debuted as an independent director in Malayalam with Big B, starring Mammootty, the<br />
South Indian mega star. After three commercially successful movies, Anwar being the<br />
latest, the young director is all set to begin his next production.<br />
discretion. “A mainstream Tamil movie or a applied for the course in film direction, members for two years along with another student who<br />
celebrated movie such as Antichrist imparts of the interview board were impressed by some specialised in direction. Together they did a<br />
equal amount of excitement in me,” he is quoted of the still photographs he had carried with him short film, Fourth World, for which Neerad<br />
to have once said. Neerad continues attending and felt he was more suited for the course on wrote the script and wielded the camera. This<br />
screenings of world classics in the local film cinematography. As a general rule, students of film, shot in 35 mm format, was shown in<br />
societies and oft frequents a video library which cinematography and editing were supposed to several film festivals across the country.<br />
has almost all volumes (on VHS format) of be graduates from the science stream, but in After passing out from SRFTI, Neerad was<br />
Bergman, Visconti, Godard, Bunuel and other SRFTI, the science degree was optional. Thus determined not to migrate to commercial Hindi<br />
master filmmakers.<br />
Neerad, a History graduate, became perhaps the cinema in the footsteps of his contemporaries.<br />
Fairly active in artistic and political activities in first ever cinematography student in the country He was attached to the state of Kerala and<br />
Maharaja’s College – a prestigious institution without a science degree to study in a national spent two years in the side wings abiding his<br />
that produced a number of luminaries in film institute.<br />
time for an opportunity to work in Malayalam<br />
Kerala’s socio-cultural and political arena, He brought laurels to SRFTI when his diploma films.<br />
Neerad discontinued his post graduation classes film, Meena Jha, won him a National Award Sadly enough, the budding cinematographer,<br />
to join the Satyajit Ray Film and Television for Best Cinematographer in the short feature with two acclaimed short films to his credit,<br />
Institute in Kolkata (SRFTI), in its first batch section. Later, as part of a German student didn’t get any invitation from the industry.<br />
as a student of cinematography. Though he had exchange programme Neerad went to Berlin Though Producers and directors were
26<br />
KERALA<br />
On the sets of Anwar<br />
impressed with his talent and his show reel, they were reserved to<br />
employ a newcomer.<br />
Meanwhile, Neerad was active making advertisement films and his<br />
professional life took a dramatic turn when he received an invitation<br />
from the Varma Corporation in October 2003.<br />
Soon, Neerad embarked on a journey that was to change his future forever.<br />
In Mumbai he did James for the Varma Corporation and soon flew back<br />
to Kerala to work as a DoP for ace Malayalam director Ranjith. After this<br />
Mammootty starrer, Black, he did two more<br />
films with Varma Corporation – Darna<br />
Jaroori Hain and Shiva. The production<br />
house never compromised on technical<br />
aspects and that provided a fantastic canvas<br />
for a rookie like him.<br />
Neerad owes much to Mammootty for his<br />
directorial debut, Big B. During the shooting<br />
of Black, the young DoP was not very close<br />
to the superstar. But once the shooting<br />
was over Mammootty was impressed and<br />
asked him to present a script (if he had<br />
anything ready with him). Though Varma<br />
Corporation at that time had asked him to<br />
direct a film for them, Neerad chose to work<br />
in this Malayalam project. “I wanted to do<br />
my debut in that kind of a space,” explains Neerad. He acknowledges<br />
that Mammootty is the only star in Malayalam film industry who is able<br />
to provide such a “comfortable working space for youngsters”.<br />
Big B happened with a crew almost full of debutants. The director,<br />
scriptwriter, cinematographer, editor, costume designer, poster designer…<br />
almost everyone in the technical crew were early starters. “We all got this<br />
opportunity because Mammootty was willing to work with such a team,”<br />
says Neerad.<br />
Though a trained and successful cinematographer himself, Neerad<br />
Can any other<br />
format achieve the<br />
sensuousness of<br />
celluloid? It is more<br />
beautiful than reality.<br />
It doesn’t care for<br />
achieving clinical<br />
precision; but craves<br />
for making the hero a<br />
super hero.<br />
employed Samir Tahir, a new comer, to wield the camera for Big B. Even<br />
in his latest flick Anwar, he chose another debutant, Satheesh Kurup as the<br />
DoP. “I believe it was the uninhibited contributions of a crew comprising<br />
of fresh talents that worked wonders in my first film,” says Neerad.<br />
At the same time, he is particular that films should “happen” without<br />
preconceived notions. “I don’t do anything deliberate to make my films<br />
different,” emphasises Neerad.<br />
Deviating from the usual format of conventional Malayalam movies<br />
he treads paths less travelled. There was a criticism from some corners<br />
that Big B lacked the flavour of the Malayalam language and culture. “I<br />
would like to disagree with this,” says Neerad with a smile. “Big B was<br />
closer to the present socio-cultural scenario in Kerala than many of the<br />
conventional films being made in Malayalam.”<br />
According to Neerad, he is getting some interesting offers from different<br />
producers after the success of Anwar. He also hints that he might do a<br />
Hindi film soon.<br />
Though an ardent fan of Malayalam middle path movies made in<br />
the 1980s, Neerad doesn’t want to imitate masters like KG George,<br />
Bharathan and Padmarajan. “I make films with a target audience in my<br />
mind. I do everything possible to reach them.<br />
As a filmmaker I want to realise my dreams<br />
on the screen. I target youngsters because I<br />
dreamt of becoming a filmmaker while I was<br />
a teenager,” says Neerad.<br />
The advent of digital technology has in<br />
no way shaken Neerad’s absolute belief in<br />
celluloid. As for selecting the stock, the DoPturned-director<br />
has always affirmed his belief<br />
in <strong>Kodak</strong>. In fact he has never worked in a<br />
stock other than <strong>Kodak</strong>. He describes himself<br />
as “a one hundred percent orthodox <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
believer right from the film school days.”<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> is his choice even for the advertisement<br />
films he shoots. He also endorses that <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
is most effective in “portraying Indian skin<br />
tones to near perfection.”<br />
Asked further about his belief in the supremacy of the celluloid, Neerad<br />
quoted what he calls a comic statement about the difference between<br />
pornography and erotica. “Pornography is always frontally lit. Erotica<br />
is always backlit.” It’s similar to the difference between sexuality and<br />
sensuality. “Can any other format achieve the sensuousness of celluloid?”<br />
he asks rhetorically. “It is more beautiful than reality. It doesn’t care for<br />
achieving clinical precision; but craves for making the hero a super hero.<br />
There lies the power of the celluloid.”<br />
I
PRASAD EFX<br />
27<br />
forging ahead<br />
Prasad EFX is a leader in Digital Post Production offering an entire range of Digital Services including VFX, Digital Intermediate,<br />
2D to 3D Conversion Services, Digital Film Restoration, Film Archiving, Tape to Film Conversion, Blu Ray Services and more.<br />
EFX’s creative, technical and quality control teams are highly trained and have been providing excellent customer experiences to a<br />
I<br />
n the early days of digital imaging, people went abroad to<br />
package films and ad commercials shot in India. This very<br />
thought, combined with decades of experience in post-production,<br />
prompted the launch of Prasad EFX, to provide digital services<br />
for advertising commercials way back in 1989 and later, in 1996<br />
– the same VFX services were extended to feature films. At that<br />
time, they were practically the only such digital service providers<br />
in India, with imported film scanners and recorders. “We had to experiment<br />
and learn so much about the seamless transition from film to digital and<br />
back to film. It took time but we perfected it soon and paved the way for<br />
more studios to follow us,” says Sai Prasad, Director at Prasad EFX.<br />
Today EFX’s expertise is in the area of VFX, DI, Digital Cinema, Digital<br />
Film Restoration, Stereoscopic<br />
Conversion Services, complete<br />
3D Film Making Solutions,<br />
Digital Asset Management,<br />
Blu Ray Services, New Media<br />
Services and so on. Employing<br />
more than 1,000 persons in Prasad<br />
EFX and more than 2,500 in the<br />
Prasad Group itself, the company<br />
is present in seven locations in<br />
India with digital service suites<br />
in three major centres – Chennai,<br />
Mumbai and Hyderabad. “We are<br />
soon opening our Digital Imaging<br />
Studios in Kerala and Karnataka.<br />
Apart from this we have presence<br />
in Singapore and Hollywood,”<br />
says Sai.<br />
Having grown from strength to<br />
strength to become a coveted name<br />
in the industry today, the group’s<br />
wide section of clients nationally and internationally.<br />
vision is to provide the best technologies and solutions for its customers.<br />
Treading a path of constant quest for quality, innovation and pioneering<br />
efforts in technology, coupled with their excellent team of professionals,<br />
ensure that they deliver more than what is expected.<br />
The guiding light is none other than LV Prasad – grandfather to Sai Prasad.<br />
“It was his dream to provide every service that is required for a film maker<br />
in India,” says Sai. “Having introduced so many services and facilities,<br />
the logical next step was Digital – even in those days he decided to move<br />
ahead in that direction,” he adds. “His vision of providing the best in all<br />
aspects to our customers is what drives us even today”.<br />
The business of film making itself has changed a lot. Customer expectations,<br />
technology, tools, markets all have undergone a sea change. New<br />
challenges have also evolved in<br />
this scenario. Competition has<br />
increased, prices have dropped,<br />
new tools keep evolving,<br />
technology is becoming obsolete<br />
faster, and globalisation has<br />
impacted business.<br />
“<strong>Kodak</strong> is a legendary brand and<br />
has great credibility. It has been<br />
consistently inventing products<br />
that have kept cinematographers<br />
happy and I am confident they<br />
will continue to do so for a very<br />
long time to come,” says Sai.<br />
According to him, the <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
Imagecare certified film lab<br />
has increased Prasad EFX’s<br />
credibility, ensured discipline<br />
in their processes, provided<br />
reassurance to their customers,<br />
and helped the management on<br />
EFX Chennai
28<br />
PRASAD EFX<br />
its journey to establish best practices.<br />
One of EFX’s leading technicians is Himakumar, Head VFX and DI.<br />
An engineering graduate, Himakumar began his career with one of his<br />
friends planning to set up a graphics division. His career path from a<br />
Graphic Designer to Team Leader, Project Manager, Technical Manager<br />
and now Head of Production – VFX and DI have been unparalleled.<br />
According to him what sets EFX apart is its capability to handle a number<br />
of very large projects simultaneously to ensure quality and timely delivery.<br />
“This combined with flawless execution and excellent client service is<br />
our main strength. Clients identify with us as one of the most trusted<br />
names in the Indian film industry,” he says.<br />
“ <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
is a legendary brand and has<br />
great credibility. It has been consistently<br />
inventing products that have kept<br />
the cinematographers happy and I am<br />
confident they will continue to do so for a<br />
very long time to come.<br />
– SAI PRASAD<br />
Director<br />
EFX has handled VFX projects for more than 1,000 films both nationally<br />
and internationally. “The major challenge when handling international<br />
projects is to meet their standards in the specified time frame,” says<br />
Himakumar. As far as the domestic market is concerned, some projects<br />
like Krrish, Magadheera, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, Aadukalam, Angadi<br />
Theru, Anniyan, Enthiran, Dasavatharam, et al demand more creative<br />
and innovative approaches and implementation with great attention to the<br />
finer details, according to him.<br />
According to Himakumar there are several factors which impact the<br />
overall look of the film – good selection of camera, lenses, proper lighting,<br />
so on and so forth. “To match these, a DoP must choose the stock that<br />
will contribute to the look of the film, keeping in mind the choice of lab<br />
process here,” says Himakumar. “Above all, good content inspires good<br />
work from all sides,” he adds.<br />
Elaborating on the DI process, Himakumar says, “A proper edit will make<br />
the work smoother at all the stages of DI Post.” In addition, properly<br />
handled negatives (since the scanning goes through dry gate, good and<br />
professional negative handling minimises dust and scratches), the quality<br />
of output for scanning and resolution, conforming (if the editing process<br />
has been done meticulously this part will go smoothly), colour grading –<br />
to decide the mood and feel of the film to ensure that the right atmosphere<br />
has been represented as demanded by the story line are other important<br />
steps of the DI process. “Much depends on all the inputs mentioned<br />
above. If one of the above links is not right or perfect, then the result can<br />
Digital Colour Grading<br />
“DI is fast becoming the only way to post<br />
produce films. This is due to various reasons –<br />
endless creative possibilities, flexibility while<br />
converting from different film and digital<br />
formats, ability to output to any existing and<br />
future formats are some of the reasons.<br />
– HIMAKUMAR<br />
Head VFX and DI<br />
be disastrous to the output,” he says. Film Recording is crucial to the entire process<br />
and has to be perfectly caliberated from the digital and the film lab perspective to<br />
ensure that whatever was seen in the grading is whatever will be seen in the film<br />
output.<br />
Today DI is gaining importance and is at the focus of the post process of a film.<br />
“DI is fast becoming the only way to post produce films. This is due to various<br />
reasons – endless creative possibilities, flexibility while converting from different<br />
film and digital formats, ability to output to any existing and future formats are<br />
some of the reasons,” explains Himakumar.<br />
According to him, any product will be chosen depending on the history associated<br />
with it. “And <strong>Kodak</strong> has made history with many innovations in film and naturally<br />
everybody’s choice will be <strong>Kodak</strong>. In the recent years even as people are predicting<br />
that film will fade out, <strong>Kodak</strong> still has launched new products such as the <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
vision 3 series, which is the unique advantage of <strong>Kodak</strong>,” he adds. Film is still the<br />
only medium that can hold information and details that can cater to evolving and<br />
future technologies of post production and exhibition. There is also no doubt that<br />
film is the only medium that has archival life than any other media as of now. “We<br />
feel film negative will last for a very long time to come,” says Himakumar.
“ <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
film stock delivers excellent grain and<br />
sharpness and true speed ratios. They also<br />
have the flexibility of long latitude. The detail<br />
or richness of colour on film is preserved.<br />
– NAVIN SARAN<br />
Sr Line Producer<br />
Sharing rare nuggets of advice Himakumar says, “right now there is no such<br />
training on DI. But, anyone can enter as a trainee in any studio and can become a<br />
successful manager or even a most wanted colourist.” If any individual is creative,<br />
dedicated, with a passion to work they will always have a good opportunity to<br />
excel in this industry according to him.<br />
For Navin Saran, Sr line producer at Prasad EFX, he just had to be in films. A<br />
Commerce graduate from Meerut, Saran was always curious to know how effects<br />
were achieved in films. He landed up in a visual effects studio to experience<br />
firsthand, the awesome art of film making and meet the magicians adding the<br />
magic to shots. Ever since then it has been a roller coaster fun ride, sometimes<br />
tense, but in all, enjoyable with EFX, Mumbai.<br />
“I have been part of many exciting projects, to pick a few is really difficult,”<br />
he says. “There have been diverse projects having extremely different creative<br />
requirements from the directors with poles apart creative sensibilities,” he adds.<br />
Saran has worked on Dhobi Ghat (Cinema73 / Aamir Khan Productions, Mumbai),<br />
Kaminey (Vishal Bhardwaj Productions, Mumbai), Right Yaa Wrong (Mukta Arts<br />
/ Ikkon Pictures, Mumbai), Japanese Wife (Aparna Sen / Saregama Films Ltd.)<br />
and Arundhati (Telugu / Mallemala Entertainments, Hyderabad) to name a few.<br />
PRASAD EFX<br />
29 1<br />
According to him the major challenge for VFX projects lie in understanding<br />
the director’s mind and ability to read the requirements of film and then<br />
deliver VFX which carries forward the story. VFX had to be seamlessly<br />
integrated into the visuals.<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong>, he feels has a spectral sensitivity and technology to widen the<br />
palette of creative expression. “<strong>Kodak</strong> film stock delivers excellent grain<br />
and sharpness and true speed ratios. They also have the flexibility of<br />
long latitude. The detail or richness of colour on film is preserved,” says<br />
Saran.<br />
Sreenivas also a Sr. Line Producer at Prasad EFX Hyderabad, was a<br />
trainee effects artist in Chennai, when he got an offer from Prasad EFX to<br />
work with them as Visual Effects Coordinator in Chennai. “That was the<br />
“ As<br />
a pioneer and leader in the field of<br />
VFX in India, Prasad EFX has over the<br />
years faced many unique situations for all<br />
of which we have arrived at innovative<br />
solutions. This experience helps our team<br />
to arrive at solutions to every challenge.<br />
– SREENIVAS<br />
Sr Line Producer<br />
turning point in my career,” he says.<br />
He has worked for over 300 movies in the field of VFX. Some of his<br />
challenging projects include: Athadu, Krishh, A Sound of Thunder, Dam<br />
999, Yamadonga, Arundathi, Magadheerra, Anaganaga O Deerudu and<br />
Swamy (Tamil).<br />
“VFX and DI in India have come a long way technically,” says Sreenivas.<br />
“We are able to meet Hollywood standards as seen in most of our recent<br />
movies,” he says.<br />
“As a pioneer and leader in the field of VFX in India, Prasad EFX has over<br />
the years faced many unique situations for all of which we have arrived<br />
at innovative solutions,” continues Sreenivas. “This experience helps our<br />
team to arrive at solutions to every challenge,” he adds.<br />
Some of the trends in the business today which are going to be around<br />
for a while according to him are: the use of 35mm negatives for shoot<br />
and 2 perf negatives which reduces the stock cost to the producer without<br />
losing quality.<br />
The name Prasad itself is a legendary brand in films. One of the integrated<br />
pan Indian player in this industry, delivering every service involved in<br />
film production, post production, distribution and exhibition – makes<br />
it extremely challenging to excel in all services across the entire value<br />
chain – from the simple to the most complex. But in the words of Sai<br />
Prasad, “Prasad EFX, aims to create a self-sustaining, global organisation<br />
that will be a benchmark for best practices, and will create a legacy for<br />
future generations.”<br />
I
30<br />
YOUNG GUNS<br />
REALITY bytes<br />
While every project is a challenge for a cinematographer, for VN Mohan his diploma film Mugaari on the art of traditional Bharata<br />
Natyam dance was a landmark learning experience. He trusts <strong>Kodak</strong> to push the limits of his creativity and lives by the maxim that it<br />
“Inspiration starts from<br />
failures. At the young age<br />
of 12, I took some family<br />
photographs with a lot of<br />
pride. Later to my utter<br />
dismay, I found that not<br />
even a pin point of silver<br />
halide was converted into metallic silver.<br />
It was absolutely silver blank,” says VN<br />
Mohan, graduate from the MGR Govt Film<br />
and Television Institute. And this is where<br />
his journey began.<br />
Mohan currently works with PC Sreeram.<br />
Three years after graduation, he feels he<br />
has lots to learn.<br />
“We can’t predict the future, but capturing<br />
good visuals on the screen requires a skill<br />
– it is both an art and craft,” he says. “A<br />
cinematographer is a creator, for him if art<br />
is the soul, craft is the tool to achieve the<br />
art – the body,” he adds.<br />
He cites an interesting analogy to explain<br />
analogue and digital.” If ten people handle<br />
film, you will get different results, whereas<br />
if ten persons handle digital, at least eight<br />
results will be similar,” says Mohan.<br />
“Using the digital format, we not only lose<br />
film but also our individuality,” he says.<br />
“Photography has evolved and is accepted<br />
as an art form now-a-days, but paintings<br />
have their own unique place and value, just<br />
like film.”<br />
Mohan uses both <strong>Kodak</strong> Vision 2 100T<br />
5212 and Vision 3 500T 5219 quite<br />
extensively. “Vision 2 is fine grain stock,<br />
which gives the sharpest look and true<br />
natural colour rendition over a wide<br />
range of exposures. The neutral tone scale<br />
provides easier colour timing in post. Due<br />
to the high dynamic range, details can be<br />
is best to fail by trying unusual things rather than to succeed by doing usual things.<br />
extracted without using high level of grains.<br />
“It gives an appropriate look, the one I want<br />
to achieve,” says Mohan. “I choose 500T<br />
Vision 3 5219, to work in low light, high<br />
contrast situations. It gives me more control<br />
and flexibility, it has less grain in shadows<br />
and gives me a more gradient look on the<br />
To translate the mood<br />
of the script to celluloid<br />
provides umpteen<br />
challenges. <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
provides a medium to<br />
effectively overcome<br />
these hurdles.<br />
subject,” adds Mohan. “It is good enough to<br />
hold the shadows,” he says.<br />
Right from his diploma film, Mohan has used<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong>. “My journey is all about capturing<br />
the mood and the atmosphere to depict<br />
meaningful feelings. My portrayals are<br />
always truly expressed by <strong>Kodak</strong>,” he says.<br />
Commenting on the emerging trends in the<br />
arena of cinematography today, according<br />
to Mohan it is moving towards a candid<br />
presentation of visuals. “Providing a realistic<br />
look with a consistent colour palette,<br />
superior technical quality and less contrast,”<br />
are popular up-and-coming inclinations of<br />
DoPs.<br />
From my hitherto limited experience, I can<br />
say that to translate the mood of the script<br />
to celluloid provides umpteen challenges<br />
– such as shooting in drastic climatic<br />
conditions, low light situations and extreme<br />
lighting situations and so on.” According<br />
to him, <strong>Kodak</strong> provides a medium to<br />
effectively overcome these hurdles. Even in<br />
post, the <strong>Kodak</strong> negative retains maximum<br />
useful colour information, which can be<br />
accommodated in a ten-bit scanner data<br />
encoding scheme. “<strong>Kodak</strong> is one of the most<br />
superior mediums of acquisition,” he says.<br />
While every project is a challenge for a<br />
cinematographer, for Mohan his diploma<br />
film Mugaari on the art of traditional Bharata<br />
Natyam dance was a landmark learning<br />
experience. “Aesthetics was an important<br />
part of the film, and we had to work within<br />
limits of budget, equipment and creative<br />
freedom,” he says. “I didn’t use fill light to<br />
get natural contrast, every shot was planned<br />
with timings for the best angle of the sun,”<br />
he says. “I used Vision 2 5212 and allowed<br />
only one window source inside the house. For<br />
OSS, half light was easily exposed at (t-4).<br />
When my director asked for a profile shot<br />
facing the window, the highlight was (t-16+).<br />
Because I was using <strong>Kodak</strong>, on the belief of<br />
the outcome, I pitched it in (t- 4). Without<br />
burning, I got a little bright background with<br />
expected details because of the extended<br />
dynamic range,” he says in conclusion.<br />
I
STRICT discipline<br />
As the trade advances to accept newer challenges of presentation and format, upcoming cinematographers such as Siddharth Diwan<br />
spend a lot of time reading, experimenting and figuring out optimum work flows. He feels, despite the winds of change currently<br />
blowing over the film landscape, what is still the need of the hour, is our heritage of discipline and diligence carried down the ages<br />
Agraduate from the Satyajit Ray<br />
Film and Television Institute<br />
(SRFTI) in Kolkata, Siddharth<br />
Diwan, aspired to become a<br />
director as he loved the idea<br />
of telling a story through the<br />
progression of images. At<br />
SRFTI when he began filming – he started<br />
noticing the intricacies of the image – the little<br />
things that makes one connect with the story.<br />
“With every shoot I started discovering the<br />
effects of different placements of lights, using<br />
intensity quality and angle of light to generate<br />
a certain emotion which became my high as the<br />
possibilities were endless and I loved it.”<br />
Diwan feels that the profession is getting too<br />
technical, and a lot of work he picks up these<br />
days is digital. This translates into a lot of<br />
reading manuals and figuring the right work<br />
flow. DI has come in the market in a big way,<br />
and this, according to him, has completely<br />
changed the basic approach to film shooting.<br />
With the advent of DI, instead of thinking<br />
how to shoot a particular scene using lighting,<br />
camera-placements and use of lenses; colour<br />
corrections are being done on a laptop<br />
computer. “The basic intention of a particular<br />
shot is getting affected,” he says. “And that too<br />
it’s not for the better.” “I need a bit of time to<br />
work out the right balance between my art and<br />
technology,” he adds.<br />
Whatever he has shot on film he has only used<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong>, and he sees no reason to use any other<br />
stock. “You can achieve any particular look<br />
you want with <strong>Kodak</strong>. Once I have extensively<br />
tested and understood the characteristics of<br />
a particular emulsion, ways to change it with<br />
special processes, then I can trust <strong>Kodak</strong>. They<br />
are extremely consistent and never break my<br />
from our master filmmakers and cinematographers to today.<br />
trust.” His personal favourite is 5219.<br />
Where lighting is concerned, he looks for visual<br />
cues within the script, trying to absorb the<br />
time and space required and visualise it in the<br />
mind’s eyes. But he lets his mind remain free<br />
and not rigid, because once on location things<br />
You can achieve any<br />
particular look you<br />
want with <strong>Kodak</strong>.<br />
They are extremely<br />
consistent and never<br />
break my trust. My<br />
personal favourite<br />
is 5219.<br />
may change – new problems can come up,<br />
which also includes what resources he would<br />
get according to the budget, or even the actual<br />
situation of actors performing may change his<br />
initial plans.<br />
He tries to have as many discussions with<br />
YOUNG GUNS 31<br />
the director as possible to get to know his<br />
personal vision of the script. Finding the right<br />
location is also for him an important factor,<br />
and he spends as much time as possible there<br />
to understand the character of light on location<br />
at different times of the day. Light, especially<br />
natural light is often unpredictable and he<br />
has to keep himself prepared to cope with<br />
varying light levels, and also what the scene<br />
itself demands visually where the lighting is<br />
concerned. Here Diwan is very cautious about<br />
using artificial lights, as one single such light<br />
can ruin the effect of a scene.<br />
Using <strong>Kodak</strong> has often helped him out of very<br />
difficult situations. Recently he was shooting<br />
a project where he used 5219, with a one stop<br />
pull and 100% bleach effect bypass. “Before<br />
shooting I did a lot of tests with almost every<br />
stock available and I ended up with 5219<br />
because on the whole it proved to be most<br />
consistent and reliable. I feel comfortable<br />
when I use <strong>Kodak</strong> as it gives me the latitude<br />
to work very fast.”<br />
In an industry moving fast towards digital,<br />
Diwan is aware that most of his work though<br />
shot on film, will in all likelihood be viewed<br />
digitally. DVD is immensely popular and<br />
Blu Ray is fast picking up by the discerning<br />
viewer. Films are even being shot on handheld<br />
devices such as the mobile.<br />
But as an aspiring and promising<br />
cinematographer, Diwan strongly feels<br />
that even if the way a film is being shot is<br />
changing, the basic discipline and rigour<br />
remains the same carried down over the<br />
ages from our master filmmakers and<br />
cinematographers. A stickler for much needed<br />
discipline Diwan has the makings of a highly<br />
successful cinematographer.<br />
I
32<br />
FILM SCHOOL<br />
solidcore<br />
Quality control and professionalism, essential attributes of a filmmaker cannot be taught<br />
in a classroom, but are practical qualities imbibed by students spending hours at the<br />
grading rooms or the telecine suites of the Prasad Labs in Chennai. Hariharan, head of<br />
LV Prasad Academy tells us how film schools are gearing up for the new age student.<br />
Prasad Academy, an<br />
initiative of Prasad Film<br />
Laboratories, Chennai is<br />
headed by Hariharan, a man<br />
committed to imparting<br />
film education and the<br />
love of cinema to earnest<br />
hopefuls dreaming of making it big on the<br />
silver screen.<br />
“At the LV Prasad Academy, we first instill<br />
in students the importance of cinema as team<br />
work with no one playing ‘auteur’,” he says.<br />
“Next, we make them understand that the<br />
only way to bring about change is by taking<br />
the so-called popular Indian Cinema practices<br />
seriously in film pedagogy, while at the same<br />
time sensitising oneself to the myriad social<br />
problems that beset the underprivileged and<br />
lastly, we encourage students to think and work<br />
with modern digital tools, both as an aesthetic<br />
principle and as technological apparatus,”<br />
he adds.<br />
In fact, according to him,<br />
today’s students are far more<br />
visually oriented and most<br />
of them manage to make<br />
short films before they join<br />
the Academy. “But one<br />
big problem we find is that<br />
they are not as exposed to<br />
the other liberal art forms<br />
such as painting, sculpture,<br />
architecture, theatre and so<br />
on, something common for<br />
the student of cinema in the<br />
60s,” he says. The lack of this exposure poses<br />
a new challenge according to Hariharan. “Our<br />
challenge in imparting good film training is to<br />
help students find a median; make them realise<br />
the importance of a holistic art perspective while<br />
also engage with new media such as the internet<br />
and interactive digital applications,” he says.<br />
Finally each individual will need to develop a<br />
genuine understanding of Indian mainstream<br />
films and filmmakers instead of looking down<br />
upon them or succumbing to the chaotic ways of<br />
the industry’s working, according to Hariharan.<br />
For him, it is very important to make a student<br />
aware of the fact that no one is out to make a<br />
‘bad’ film. Awards or critic’s responses must not<br />
be the yardstick of their judging a film – popular<br />
response also matters a lot.<br />
“We have now arrived at a juncture of time<br />
when rapid digitisation of the art of cinema is<br />
ever-growing,” he says. He gives the example of<br />
how when colour negative first came, it had to<br />
K Hariharan<br />
face obstacles from the masters of black and<br />
white, in the early 60’s.<br />
Even the approach of a student to cinema has<br />
changed now – they want to be ‘original’ or<br />
‘different’ from anything done before. “But<br />
we are yet to realise the full potential of a<br />
standard digital chip camera,” he says.<br />
To him, the old distinctions between directors,<br />
cinematographers or editors would ultimately<br />
disappear. “Only the good story-tellers<br />
will survive,” he says. He also stresses the<br />
importance of more women joining cinema as<br />
technical persons in a male-dominated world.<br />
In conclusion, Hariharan<br />
says cinema is as much<br />
a ‘personal’ expression<br />
as much as it is also an<br />
industrial product for<br />
mass consumption. “So a<br />
filmmaker must learn that<br />
what he or she makes should<br />
be a saleable product and<br />
just not a film made to satisfy<br />
his or her creative urges,” he<br />
concludes.<br />
I
At FTII, teaching methodology is very alive to the<br />
times. Modern methodologies are combined with<br />
intrinsic roots as students watch the works of national<br />
and international. FTII has indeed made a golden<br />
contribution to Indian Cinema in as much as <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
has been instrumental in sharing the latest advances in<br />
the field of emulsion manufacturing with the students<br />
FILM SCHOOL<br />
through advanced workshops and supporting them<br />
golden<br />
through gifting raw stock.<br />
Contribution<br />
especially through the use of celluloid (S16) for<br />
This year the Film and Television<br />
Institute of India (FTII) in Pune<br />
completes 50 years of a journey<br />
started way back in back in<br />
1961. “The whole attitude of the<br />
students to cinema as a medium<br />
has undergone a sea change over<br />
the years,” says one of its senior most faculties<br />
BC Naria. “Today not only do students get to see<br />
the work of the masters through daily screenings<br />
at the FTII or the National Film Archives, a whole<br />
new vista has opened up to them with the advent<br />
of DVDs in the film market,” he says.<br />
With this kind of exposure, the students are<br />
open to new ideas of creating images and are<br />
well versed with thought processes of directors<br />
world-wide.<br />
This is reflected in the diploma films they make<br />
– replete with totally different outlooks to life<br />
and the society at large. “Students started picking<br />
BC Naria<br />
A clear idea of the finished product really helps in<br />
making a really good movie,” says Naria.<br />
The most interesting aspect about FTII is that<br />
its syllabus keeps abreast of changing times.<br />
“New ideas, new technologies, are integrated<br />
into the syllabus after introducing them as a<br />
part of hands-on-workshops and seminars,” he<br />
acquisition of images with further processing<br />
done in the digital domain,” says Naria. “<strong>Kodak</strong><br />
is making impossible to achieve images possible<br />
through introduction of new emulsions thereby<br />
enabling a fuller control over the look of the final<br />
product. Starting off with only one emulsion,<br />
5247, now availability of about a dozen different<br />
emulsions offering enormous range of looks is<br />
changing the language of filmmaking, thanks to<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong>,” he says.<br />
Naria feels very enthusiastic about the future<br />
of students taking up cinema as a profession.<br />
Now it is as enticing as a career in engineering<br />
or medicine, the number of students enrolling<br />
every year is increasing rapidly. In fact,<br />
according to him FTII even receives foreign<br />
student applications from France, Canada, USA,<br />
Switzerland and Italy. FTII has indeed made a<br />
Golden Contribution to Indian Cinema. I<br />
up the new emerging techniques and changing adds. “FTII started with training in 35mm black Naria’s Top 5 Nuggets<br />
languages of cinema with the internet becoming<br />
easily available at their disposal,” says Naria.<br />
Even the narrative style of a film has undergone<br />
changes- complex psychological situations and<br />
moral issues have started being portrayed in the<br />
films by FTII graduates.<br />
According to Naria, apart from getting the best<br />
of equipments to work, the thought philosophy<br />
of film teaching adopted makes a substantial<br />
contribution towards film education. “Learning<br />
to paint on the film screen with the camera and<br />
lenses, and adding sound to it to make it give it<br />
life is at the core philosophy of learning at FTII.<br />
and white emulsions which gave way to 35mm<br />
colour emulsions in the 90s and digital formats<br />
also were introduced in the beginning of the new<br />
millennium starting with the academy format of<br />
shooting, the next change was to wide screen and<br />
anomorphic formats,” says Naria. “DI inputs are<br />
now being given to the students theoretically and<br />
through lab visits. Very soon, in a limited way, DI<br />
would be introduced in the projects,” he adds.<br />
FTII also imparts training in television. Digital<br />
TV and high definition format is gaining inroads<br />
into the production milieu in India. “Many of our<br />
students have successfully taken to these mediums<br />
Common pitfalls to avoid<br />
(by a student)<br />
Having an ‘I know it all’<br />
attitude.<br />
Disregarding suggestions and<br />
not understanding colleagues’<br />
problems.<br />
Neglecting physical fitness.<br />
Not realising the importance<br />
of time and money while on<br />
the project.<br />
Not being innovative in taking<br />
the challenges.<br />
33
34<br />
WORKSHOPS<br />
catch‘em<br />
YouNG<br />
The <strong>Kodak</strong> Cinelab is conducted with the<br />
purpose to inform the students about vision<br />
products and also draw attention to the importance of film as a medium. All the<br />
participants at the recently concluded workshop held at the Government Film & Television Institute,<br />
Hessaraghatta, were very eager to learn to work on motion picture film emulsion. Veteran cinematographer<br />
and Dada Saheb Phalke award winner, VK Murthy conducted the workshop and students also interacted with<br />
National Award winning cinematographer HM Ramchandra, over the two day duration of the workshop.<br />
Committed to interacting with the emerging film professional,<br />
still learning the ropes, the Government Film & Television<br />
Institute, Hessaraghatta, in association with <strong>Kodak</strong> conducted<br />
a practical workshop for 20 students on their premises. Guest<br />
faculty and cinematographer Chandru, moderated the entire<br />
workshop. Veteran cinematographer and Dada Saheb Phalke<br />
award winner, VK Murthy conducted the workshop. After<br />
two days of basic lighting and exposure practical, the students got the<br />
opportunity to interact with National Award winning cinematographer HM<br />
Ramchandra who had a long interactive session with the students.<br />
D S Roopashree set the tone of the workshop by conducting the preliminary<br />
sessions and coordinated between the students and the experts. Interaction<br />
with Murthy, was an invaluable part of the workshop. “The response from<br />
the students has been extremely encouraging,” she said. This was apparent,<br />
with ex-students from far-a-way places such as Ranchi, Bhopal and Tamil<br />
Nadu also attending the workshop. All the participants of the workshop<br />
were very eager to learn to work on motion picture film emulsion. This<br />
was the second opportunity they had to expose on negative stock, and they<br />
put it to sincere use. Shanti Sagar, a student participant of the workshop<br />
said: “We learnt about lighting patterns and ratios, how to set lighting<br />
Important Learnings<br />
Film is better than digital.<br />
Film is best for gamma correction.<br />
Use lights according to the stock.<br />
How to create depth by using light.<br />
How to preserve film for the future.<br />
– Shanti Sagar, Student<br />
according to the stock latitude and we got an opportunity to work with film<br />
stock. Meeting and getting to work alongside Murthy and Ramchandra was a<br />
major advantage of the workshop. “We saw the processing lab, got to know<br />
about the processing pattern, how the exposed film is processed in the lab and<br />
so on,” added Sagar.<br />
In the interactive sessions with the two veteran cinematographers,<br />
Roopashree said that almost all the questions raised by the students were<br />
related to understanding the negative emulsion’s exposure latitude - the<br />
film’s light handling ability. Next was the resolution - the emulsion’s grain<br />
structure that makes such high resolution possible, the possibilities of colour<br />
schemes and the negative stock’s colour capture abilities.<br />
“It was a dream to work with VK Murthy,” said Sagar. “I wish to thank<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> for giving us such a wonderful opportunity. Among the many things<br />
we learnt from him the main ones were – punctuality, dedication and the<br />
way he lights up a scene – it’s fantastic.” HM Ramchandra gave the students<br />
lessons on natural source lighting. As a cinematographer he taught the<br />
students to observe the natural lights in different times of the day and in<br />
varying locations. “The discussion with HM Ramachandra helped us in<br />
understanding grass root principles of lighting theory” said Prithvi V, a<br />
student of the institute.<br />
Film Rules<br />
Though digital is growing at a rapid pace, the rate of<br />
film usage has not decreased. The depth detail, range,<br />
colour reproduction in the film cannot be emulated.<br />
Film provides latitude of up to 14 stops. It is also<br />
highly recommended for archival preservation.<br />
– Prithvi V, Student
A very important aspect of the workshop was the<br />
discussions on the role of DI. Students realised that<br />
DI plays a crucial role in improving the colour and<br />
looks of each single frame in a film. The various<br />
processes involved in DI were also explained.<br />
The <strong>Kodak</strong> Cinelab visit was conducted with<br />
the objective to educate the students about vision<br />
products and also highlight the importance of film<br />
as a medium. A session was held by Ankur and<br />
Ajit where they covered the FNC presentation<br />
followed by a question and answer session. Later<br />
all the participants were taken to the lab where<br />
Veeresh explained the lab practices and process.<br />
“We got familiar with the cine lab procedures<br />
and the post-production, including DI work<br />
from all angles,” added Prithvi. “All our queries<br />
were answered, and the instructors shared their<br />
knowledge with us,” he added. “We really thank<br />
<strong>Kodak</strong> Mumbai for creating this opportunity<br />
and enriching our knowledge with practical<br />
demonstrations,” said Prithvi.<br />
Students were also taken to EFX where Ankit<br />
introduced them to Namrata, Line Producer,<br />
who familiarised them with the DI facility. The<br />
students had a great experience learning the<br />
online and offline of a project with colourist<br />
Venu. They also had a short interactive session<br />
The <strong>Kodak</strong> Cinelab visit<br />
was conducted with the<br />
objective to educate<br />
the students about<br />
vision products and also<br />
highlight the importance<br />
of film as a medium.<br />
WORKSHOPS<br />
with VFX Manager – Mohan, which was very<br />
helpful. In the <strong>Kodak</strong> Cinelab technical session<br />
the documentary film, No Compromise – the<br />
Power of Film was also screened which helped<br />
students get to know more about films and its<br />
ranges. “The interaction was very informative,<br />
“Though digital is growing at a rapid pace, the<br />
rate of usage of film has not decreased,” he added.<br />
“The deapth detail, range, colour reproduction<br />
in the film cannot be emulated. Film provides<br />
latitude of up to 14 stops. It is also highly<br />
recommended for archival preservation,”<br />
VK Murthy said Prithvi.<br />
This workshop help at Mumbai and Bangalore<br />
was made possible with the help of <strong>Kodak</strong><br />
Motion picture company’s encouragement<br />
and support. Mehernoz Maloo, Ananth<br />
Padmanabhan and Rachna Pawar were the<br />
key personnel instrumental in conceiving and<br />
setting up the workshop and the students’ visit<br />
to the <strong>Kodak</strong> Cine Lab in Mumbai. Students<br />
were provided with adequate stock to<br />
experiment and learn to work on film and all<br />
guidance and support was extended to them<br />
for travel and stay, to develop their exposed<br />
stock, and to visit and understand the world<br />
class work culture of <strong>Kodak</strong> Cine Labs.<br />
I<br />
35 1
film. Ramachandra remained dedicated<br />
to the cause of the new wave in Kannada<br />
cinema and was instrumental in positioning<br />
Karnataka on the world map of meaningful<br />
cinema. He facilitated many young filmmakers<br />
and first-time producers to meet<br />
each other on a common platform. Amongst<br />
the 70-odd films that he authored with his<br />
camera, he must have been responsible for<br />
no less than 40 debutant directors. Such was<br />
the re-assurance that his presence created.<br />
On many an occasion, he wouldn’t hesitate<br />
even to sacrifice his own priorities as a visual<br />
artist, for the sake of the movie, lest the<br />
project itself be shelved. Hence, increasingly<br />
shrinking budgets and shooting-schedules<br />
S ramachandra<br />
didn’t bother him. From scouting locations<br />
to art direction to publicity, it was his signage<br />
everywhere. If any department called for<br />
his talents, his willing shoulder was always<br />
there.<br />
SOSFIMAK, the society of short-film-makers<br />
that he conceived and nurtured gave vent<br />
to the creative energy of innumerable young<br />
people and catalysed a pool of young talent<br />
in AV communication.<br />
that the Maharishi willingly sacrificed Despite the slow-speed and the deficiencies<br />
his bones in order to save the world in its local processing of the ORWO filmfrom<br />
the demons, and in doing Emulsion, he opted to use it for the sole reason<br />
so he ensured human civilisation<br />
prospered as we know it today.<br />
that the production could save some money<br />
and do a film in colour. In due course, he<br />
mastered the handling of this East European<br />
There are a lot of parallels in the life<br />
film emulsion and even won a national<br />
and times of one of Kannada finest award for his work in Rishyashringa (Dir:<br />
cinematographers, S Ramachandra, VRK Prasad). Incidentally, this was the first<br />
a meticulous person and ‘a man in a national award for colour cinematography in<br />
hurry’ according to his daughter.<br />
a Kannada movie.<br />
His mastery of the art, as well as his<br />
SRamachandra belonged<br />
to the first generation<br />
graduates of the worldrenowned<br />
film school – the<br />
Film and Television Institute<br />
of India, Pune. One of the<br />
finest cinematographers<br />
enthusiasm to serve the cause of meaningful<br />
cinema served successive generations of filmmakers<br />
as exemplified in the father-daughter<br />
duo of PLankesh (Pallavi) and Kavitha<br />
Lankesh (Deveeri, Alemari). He orchestrated<br />
the visual expression of a creative thought<br />
process that circumscribed nearly a whole<br />
of our time, associating with his senior, century and beyond [Shivaram Karanth<br />
UMN Sharif on the sets of the film, (Maleya Makkalu)]to P Sheshadri (Vimukti)<br />
Vamshavruksha he soon realised that this to Roopa Iyer (Mukhaputa)]. As a human<br />
is the genre of film he belonged to and lost being, he priced his integrity the most. His<br />
no time in creating his space.<br />
role-model was Shivaram Karnath.<br />
With his maiden venture, Sankalpa, Though his contribution was colossal to<br />
he won his first state award for best the New Wave Kannada cinema, it was the<br />
cinematography. Incidentally, Anantnag, small screen that brought his talent to the<br />
the sine-qua-non of Kannada cinema, fore in an uncompromising manner and put<br />
traced his first steps in acting under the on display, his skills in visual articulation.<br />
watchful eyes of S Ramachandra in this Malgudi Days was a perfect vehicle for him<br />
An unsung<br />
Hero<br />
The legend of Maharshi Dadhichi says<br />
to join hands with the infectious energy of<br />
Shankarnag and the duo created some of<br />
the most memorable serialisations in a visual<br />
vocabulary that is hard to beat.<br />
His association with the renowned film maker,<br />
Girish Kasaravalli lasted more than three<br />
decades, contributing to several creations<br />
on celluloid such as Ghatashraddha, Mane<br />
and Gulabi Talkies. The montage of visuals<br />
he created for the Dance at Parbu’s house<br />
even as Yamunakka lies in extreme agony in<br />
Ghatashraddha and the way he captured the<br />
innocence and fear in Nani’s eyes through<br />
his lens will remain landmark achievements<br />
of Indian cinema. The surreal, subliminal<br />
images that he created in Banagarada Jinke,<br />
Ghatashraddha, Mane and Aakramana to<br />
name a few, will continue to energise the<br />
students of cinema for a long time. For those<br />
who are interested in the study of a critical<br />
analysis of his work, one should read Prof.<br />
Manu Chakravarti’s critique of his work.<br />
While his forays as a technician and mastercraftsman<br />
are too well-known, what is not<br />
is his concern for the welfare of the younger<br />
generation of cinematographers. He waged<br />
a lone battle against the habit of importing<br />
artists and technicians. None of the recognised<br />
bodies of the industry joined hands with him.<br />
Thus, naturally, even the State Government<br />
couldn’t promote the welfare of technicians of<br />
the State. And the crusade he had launched<br />
to enlarge the strength of the Karnataka<br />
Cinematographers’ Association (KCA) soon<br />
turned into a rebellion against him. The task<br />
was uphill, but not a man to accept defeat;<br />
he challenged his detractors and gave up his<br />
post as the President of (KCA). Today, KCA<br />
stands orphaned at the cross-roads due to<br />
his untimely exit. It is ironical that the body<br />
that he nurtured with such zest should have<br />
caused him so much pain that he chose to<br />
isolate himself.<br />
“A man in a hurry”, as his daughter Varsha<br />
remembers him, is a succinct title that<br />
characterises him. He wanted to do so much,<br />
achieve so much, and scale the peak – all in<br />
a hurry. His passion for his art and his work<br />
is reflected in his reaction to the doctor who<br />
treated him – “If your treatment helps me<br />
get back to the arc-lights, I will submit myself<br />
willingly. Otherwise, what is the point?”<br />
– Mr. G. S. BHaSKar,<br />
FTII Graduate and a renowned<br />
Cinematographer from Bangalore
‘builds relationships.<br />
‘<br />
Being one of the youngest members on the <strong>Kodak</strong> marketing team has its advantages.<br />
The upside is that everyone is supportive and willing to lend a helping hand. But, no<br />
allowances or compromises are made when I have to meet my targets. This is what<br />
really keeps me going here, year after year.<br />
It’s been three years now and I remember when I joined, you could say that I was a<br />
complete novice, absolutely new to the field. I had aspirations of becoming a cabin<br />
crew member, but destiny brought me here in the Motion Picture Film Department, as<br />
Customer Support and Marketing Service Executive. Today I feel as fresh and new at<br />
work as if it were my first day!<br />
There are many things I have learnt here at <strong>Kodak</strong>. How to handle marketing activities,<br />
events, special projects and above all how to interact with people. <strong>Kodak</strong> builds<br />
relationships. I enjoy working at <strong>Kodak</strong> and find meeting industry people challenging<br />
and interesting.<br />
I lead a very active life outside of <strong>Kodak</strong>. I enjoy sports and was my college chess<br />
champion. I love languages and German is one of my favourite. I like reading more<br />
about this industry that I find so fascinating. I also enjoy painting using oil on canvas.<br />
I have learnt the salsa and find that dancing makes me happy and energetic.<br />
My motto in life is simple: Live for today and Keep smiling!<br />
Our Regional Offices<br />
MUMBAI<br />
Rachna Pawar<br />
Tel No: 91-22-66416762 / 66<br />
Fax No: 91-22-66416769<br />
Email: rachna.pawar@kodak.com<br />
MUMBAI CINELAB<br />
Aparna Bhusane<br />
Tel No: 91-22-67026600 / 02<br />
Fax No: 91-22-67026666<br />
Email: aparna.bhusane@kodak.com<br />
ChENNAI<br />
M. T. Amuthavanan<br />
Origination Products<br />
Tel No: 91-44-23623086 / 9840333350<br />
Fax No: 91-44-23622522<br />
Email: mohankrishnan. amuthavanan@kodak.com<br />
ChENNAI<br />
T. M. Prasanth<br />
Distribution Products<br />
Tel No: 91-44-23623086 / 9840489900<br />
Fax No: 91-44-23622522<br />
Email: mohan.prasanth@kodak.com<br />
BANgALorE<br />
Ananth A. Padmanabha<br />
Tel No: 91-9886008642<br />
Email: anantha.padmanabha@kodak.com<br />
KoLKAtA<br />
Chirag Gandhi<br />
Tel No: 91-33-30286254 / 9830915152<br />
Fax No: 91-33-30286270<br />
Email: chirag.gandhi@kodak.com<br />
hydErABAd<br />
S. Gowrishankar<br />
Tel No: 91-9849015950<br />
Fax No: 91-40-23816181<br />
Email: santhanam.gowrishankar@kodak.com<br />
hydErABAd<br />
Surya Basa<br />
Distribution Products<br />
Tel No: 91-9885823238<br />
Fax No: 91-40-23816181<br />
Email: surya.basa@kodak.com<br />
KErALA<br />
Visakh K. J.<br />
Tel No: 91-484-2366230 / 36 / 9895708469<br />
Fax No: 91-484-2363211<br />
Email: visak.kj@kodak.com