A break from work
After doing a month-long film appreciation course at FTII, Pune, I returned to Bombay on Sunday. I had not taken any break from my work in the last three years. If you’re a cinephile or someone interested in cinema by chance, go check it out for yourself. I’m sure you’ll love it. If you’re lucky and your passion for cinema is really strong, you’ll get selected. [Out of around 2,500 applications, only 70+ were selected this year, they said.]
I’ve not found time to write about the whole experience. These are some of the real gyaan that I got there and which I think are worth quoting:
THE BUG
“What if cinema is ‘truth’ 24 frames per second?” I asked.
“I’m not obsessed about truth . . . anymore.
I watch dirtier, lousier films these days.”
— Sandeep Chatterjee
Does film analysis exhausts the pleasure?
“No, it enriches the experience.
A lover isn’t exhausted by details of the beloved.”
Without having the understanding of the rich mise-en-scene of a film like Pather Panchali, you cannot make a perfect film out of it even if you remake it.
— Gayatri Chatterjee
SCRIPT: “The illusive thing in the industry.”
“Screenwriting as a specialized art has been neglected/undermined in this country.”
“There was no screen writer. . .
And there aren’t enough script-readers either.”
“All good writing is intuitive writing . . .
(And) principles (rules) begin to guide your intuition.”
“Experience is the art, expression is the craft.”
“Learning scriptwriting has to be powered by your desire to write.”
Structure will help you tell your story the way you want to.
“A cinema doesn’t end at the theater.”
A film is not merely meant for amusement. A good film stays with you as a rich experience. It creates a certain impact: emotional, political or intelligent.
“A good actor catches what a writer’s trying to say.”
Believe me, when you’re struck somewhere in your script, you’re close to your goldmine. After each block, there’s a blessing.
[“What do you suggest someone who hasn’t really begun?” I asked Anjum outside the class. It is silly, I guess, to be honest about lack of experience.
“Start first!” our scriptwriter said.
When I discover my characters, their names become very important to me. Sometimes all I have is a name. Sometimes even when I know my character well, I am not aware of his name.
“I had asked you, if you remember, about how to name characters. You’d said, ‘Just name it.’ But I find it very difficult to name them.”
“What do you want then? I’ve my formula . . . You want me to tell them?”
“Yes . . .”
“I don’t want to,” Anjum said. “You’ve to find your own formula . . .”]
— Anjum Rajabali
“24/7 television is an assault on mind.”
“Don’t talk of motion pictures, talk of emotion pictures.”
— Suresh Chhabria
“Do you consider yourself an artist?” I asked Adoor Gopalakrishan expecting a lecture! But he surprised me.
“I don’t know. It’s fashionable to say so, so I call myself one . . .” Adoor said.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Quality knowledge right there…..
Brilliant Salik.Absolute expression of experience.
Nice article.Please do write more.
I went there last year.. It was one of the most enriching experiences of my life! And as I read your piece, I could picture Gayatri Chatterjee and Chhabria saying this! BTW, who came for your validiction ceremony? It was Adoor for us last year
thanks jibin, yayaver, cinemausher…
yeah Arati, it was Adoor this year as well…
@ salik / arati: im very interested to join the course. i stay in pune. can u guide me how to go about it?
@ Salik – good to hear you had a great time @ FTII with this program, from whatever I’ve heard it surely sounds good.
Jha- I’ll give you the details whenever we talk/meet.Its a 4 week course held annually in the summer. you have a selection process which consists of you writing your fav 5 films with reasons for the same, how this course would help you etc.
@sethu: can u mail me the details as well…if possible
@salik: that must have been a gr8 experience. loved the “24/7 television is an assault on mind” … so true.. and of course this one “A cinema doesn’t end at the theater” … yes…that’s what we are trying to say here
@ Rals- will mail you the same shortly.
your notes are amazing indeed.
Do you plan to write more details?
If so I would be happy!!
@Satyendra: The FTII comes out with an ad in all the leading newspapers some time in February, when they open the application process. As the course is jointly run by the FTII and the NFAI, you can check course details on both websites:
I hope I didnt blabbber too much!
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http://nfaipune.nic.in/main_page.htm
www.ftiindia.com
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You need to fill up a form, with personal details and then some nice stuff like your top 5 favorite films and why you like them etc. Based on this, about 50 – 55 students are selected each year for a 4 week residential course. It is super duper fun! Now, they have begun a movng short course of Film Appreciation as well. It is a mini 1 week program, travelling to places far flung. So that more people have access to cinema literacy. I think it is a super move. I guess they are in Panaji, Goa this July. All you guys in Goa, apply!!
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As you stay in Pune, it should be even easier for you to attend the FA. It is a summer course and happens only once a year, from May – June.Also, I think you might be aware, NFAI runs weekend movie screenings of world cinema classics on 35 MM. It’s called Film Circle. It is a must do for a cinephile like you! As we had holidays on Sundays, we used to often gate crash for these screenings! Do it Satyendra! It will be your best gift to yourself – 4 weeks in the classroom on FTII campus, with 50 other cine maniacs and being taught by some great teachers (And some not so great) and some fabulous director interactions!!
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@Salik: Glad you shared it on PFC. I always thought of doing it but never did!
@ Arti: wow. im grateful to salik for having led this thread which has given me at least one reason to already look forward to the next year.! im sure going to apply, and “give the best gift to myself”. thanks again.
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yeah, im aware of the world cinema weekend screenings in NFAI and have watched a few myself in the last few months. unfortunately, the hectic life of 6-day work allows only sundays to catch on lost sleep and friends. i will surely try to be more regular.
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no, u hvnt blabbered much. it was so nice to brief me abt the paraphernelia. thanks agn. let me know whn next u r going for the weekend screening at NFAI. we might catch up there…
@Satyendra: Glad it helped! I wish I could attend the NFAI screenings, but I am based in Bombay
Thodi lambi drive ho jaayegi!
@ Arati, arrey bombay bula ho bhai :D
@ jha, jaroor jana!
Hey Salik, thanks for this. brought back some great memories.
thanks man…i’ll definitely try it next year….