It is not conventional to talk about the outcome of an event right at the beginning, but I am going to do that, for very specific reasons. Never again will movie-watching be such a tedious experience! What we dismiss as entertainment and fun involves hard work and in great detail.
Given the number of people who collaborate to create “magic on screen”, we definitely should stop promoting actors to godlike statuses. As the oft-repeated saying goes, the real heroes are behind the screen.
Meet the heroes
And one such person who charged up the very first day of “Imaging Cinema” workshop at IIT-M (May 6-11) was Dibakar Banerjee of “LSD (Love Sex Dhokha)” fame. The film generated debate post-release but was also well received. What makes the movie debate worthy is that it was shot on digital; a form India is still waking up to. The session provided a detailed look at the pros and cons of digital filming. In fact, Dibakar chose to label it a myth-busting session. From costs to quality to post-production work, every aspect of digital filming was dissected. The audience was well educated, but insights from the expert were a significant learning experience.
Saurabh Shukla, (yes, from “Satya!”) who co-wrote the cult classic “Satya” with Ram Gopal Varma, took most of the screenwriting sessions over the five days. The randomness of story telling was the USP of these sessions; how a few different thoughts and lines put together with some perspective can actually make a good scene. Or maybe, it was just Shukla's experience that made it look easy. The writing exercises and follow- up discussions were fruitful for all those wanting to take up screenwriting in the future. “Cinema = image + quality of writing and music touching all senses.” Could it be simpler?
Shimit Amin, director of “Chak De”, “Rocket Singh” and other well received movies, initiated participation by asking pertinent questions. According to him,“what are you going to make movies about?” is the most important question a filmmaker must ask himself. The potential insecurity that can grip a director was highlighted, since there is hardly any “major responsibility” or particular task assigned to the director on paper. But a practical session helped one realise how versatile and knowledgeable a director needs to be about every aspect of movie making.
“Paa” and “Cheeni Kum” were two simple, feel-good movies that also conveyed a subtle message. The man behind these, R. Balki, was an ad-film maker before venturing into feature filmmaking. In this, mostly Q&A, session, Balki answered a variety of curious questions, mostly tilted towards the making of “Paa”, Bachchan's flawless make up and how the idea for the movie was conceived. The pre-production work consisted mostly of studying the disorder and making sure the make up was near- perfect. Balki also discussed his ad films, giving the audience some perspective about the capital-drivenworld of advertising.
Experience helps
Jaideep Sahni and Nagesh Kukunoor made their respective interactions fun with wit, charm and amazing stage presence. The honesty and informal tone found an easy wavelength with the audience. Balancing humour and professionalism, both were at their creative best as they analysed what actually makes them good screenwriters (engineering i.e.)! Sahni started with a slideshow that said, “Why the hell do we become screenwriters?!” After that,there was no looking back.
What was also impressive was Sameer Puri's take on independent films, their birth, and scope in India. His brainchild is “Delhi Boom,” an independent film shot, written, directed and edited by him to be screened at Cannes this year. This definitely encourages better creativity and output as per the idea of the maker, since chances of dilution are fewer.
Preserving mankind on celluloid...K. Balchander
If you have aspiration and no opportunity, things may not go as well as planned...Jaideep Sahni
Looking at the joys and sorrows of each character...Sreekar Prasadon editing.
What touches you is most likely to touch another human being...Sameer Puri
It is high time we all learn, make and execute films...Nasser
Screenwriting is the most static process of filmmaking and direction, the most dynamic...Nagesh Kukunoor
Niharika is a II nd year BA Literature student of Stella Maris College.
