Way of seeing
Way of seeing
Francois Truffaut once said, “Every subject is a subject for cinema. It is only a matter of choice which subject suits which director.” It’s same with photography too.
Everything that lies before my eyes is a possible subject of photography. I pick and choose what suits me. What is suitable for me may not be suitable for any other person. What suits me best is in essence what I photograph. What I photograph in turn expresses what I am. In spite of the rigid technical parameters there is always a way for me. And that’s what is known as ‘way of seeing’.
The way we see things is always affected by what we know or believe. We only see what we look at. That’s our first choice. An image (Static or moving) is a replica, which has been detached from the place and time in which it made it’s first appearance and preserved for centuries or a few moments. Every time we look at an image, we are aware of the presence of a person who placed his eyes behind the eyepiece of the camera selecting that sight from infinity of other possible sights. The photographer is the key word. It is a never the knowledge of the hardware (camera, stock etc) that makes someone a better photographer.
How much do I need to know to become a cameraman?
Subrata Mitra’s recollection of working on “Pather Panchali” can be an inspiration to all aspiring cinematographers.
He said, “Ray was already planning ‘Pather Panchali’, and promised to take me on as one of the assistants. But things were moving very slowly.”
After a few months, as the shooting approached, he suddenly suggested, “Why don’t you photograph the film?”
“Me? I don’t know a thing!” I replied.
“What is there to know?” he asked. “There is a switch on the camera. You press it, the camera runs and everything else is the same as with your still camera.”
“And to everybody’s amazement and disapproval, the scepticism of relations and friends, nothing to speak about the professionals who had only banter and sarcasm for us, Ray stuck to his choice. He must have come to feel confident that I would deliver the goods. And so, at 21, I became a director of photography, without ever having touched a movie camera before”.
It is true that if you press the switch on the camera there will always be an image on the recording system (be it film or video tape), especially now a days when you can see, while photographing, what you are photographing. Those who believe that photographing is all about pressing a switch are creating mess in the visual medium. They are filling the screens with mundane, mediocre images from which our audience is turning their tired eyes away.
A photographer is a visionary who has the courage to experiment, to take challenges, to create images that were never seen before and to dream, to do things in his way or else why photograph?
Satyajit Ray must have seen in Subrata Mitra that vision of the future, which countermanded the scanty knowledge of using a movie camera. And Subrata had the courage to take the challenge. He created images, which were new and fresh and never seen before. He dreamed a vision, created his own devices to achieve it and became a legend of Indian Cinema. He had his way of seeing things. It is sad we have so few visionaries in modern India……ranajit
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
What about KK Mahajan’s work in Uski Roti? Time and space were manipulated in hynotic ways in that one?
Devdutt-that’s true for all mani kaul films..
great post ranajit, it’s how you look at it, which is why nobody here knows how to shoot bombay which is a cinematic delight, they prefer shooting in studios, they try to glam their frames with costumes and lavish sets..
@Ranajit…intersting post. n welcome onboard!!
@AK..n back to my fav punching bag..though m quite hopeful abt chak de but their first theatrical promo song…they shot inside the studio..why ? hockey!!! n there they r introducing the players n their states…god!! wud hav been lovely to capture the real locations. but what to do, they hav studios!!
Thnaks Anurag, it is nice to know that you also feel the same as I feel.
To reply Devdutta, I would like to mention that I assited K.K in the award winning film of Mrinal Sen “Mrigaya” and I learned quite few things from him. He was great outdoor man. Apart from “Uski Roti” the poetic beauty of “Bhuban Some” cannot be ignored. I was talking about the present time.
And to Phoenixnu, thanks again. I will continue to write about “Way of seeing”.
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your reply. The reason i keep mentioning Kaul and Swaroop is because there is very literature if any on the two of them ( its usually something written by Kaul himself.), but almost no response wrt cinema today. Swaroop’s film Om Dar B Dar has been completely forgotten today, whereas for me it is the only Indian film with a truly progressive film aesthetic, one which can be studied over and over (probably due to its post-modernity).
While we are on the topic of Kaul, please come to Max Mueller, Mumbai at 2.00 on Sunday, for a screening of DUVIDHA by Mani Kaul.
Devdutt
Om Dar B Dar was a whacked out experience, i think what exists now are only VHS copies of the film, if i rem correctly, i caught it at a fest in JNU, all the academics showered praise on it, had a lot of historical montage too, one of those had Pandit Nehru disembarking from the plane, talking to kids. etc. someone in the audience asked swaroop, what did that montage mean? swaroop had a wry smile on his face, he said “Nehru was very fond of kids”, im not sure in what context he said that.
I have the DVD of Om Dar B Dar if in Mumbai and interested, let me know
i am interseted devdutt.. how can i get it
Sir as you tell me.
ps I would also like to show my own short films.
The dvd was telecined by Amit Dutta, also a significant film maker in his own right
Hi Ranajit, thanks for the insightful post!
Devdutt, Lot of people on PFC would like to watch Om Dar b Dar!We should hold a screening on a weekend. It would also be a good get together.
Definitely!Anyhow it will be screened on first Sunday of Sept at MMb Mumbai 2 pm
WHATS MMB???
That’s Max Mueller Bhavan, Suchita
Thanx Bhavani, would love to read your book sometime, your amalgamation of poetry into lines is really interesting.. can’t wait,
Madhur,
There is a very good interview with Swaroop done by Deep Focus Magazine way back in 1989. I will try to post it or send it to you via email
Devdutt,
Long time. Good to see you here. Why don’t you write about these films over here? I’m sure it will encourage a discussion and enlighten a lot of people, including me
Srinivas
Devdutt, I’m really interested in watching Om Dar B Dar! It’s a legend, because everyone talks about it without having watched it! I have a place in Bandra with a TV set, incase you want to plan a small-scale screening. Otherwise you have MMBs and AFs
Cy,
Small scale is as (and sometimes more) significant .let me know when
Devdutt
Cy,Devdutt,How about screening at CY’s place on the next weekend? Aug 11 or 12?Would again watch at the fest;)
Srinivas,
Long time.More than writing i am first interested in showing these films.lets hope we can spread (which also translates into buying blank DVDs,good old Anupam) these films so that all those interested in having copy of the film and other such (lost/underground) Indian films can further spread/talk/write/blog
Devdutt
Great either 11th or 12th.Anytime.Let me know.
Devdutt
dev dutt how do i contact you.. amit is also a very good friend of mine..
arre wah! itne jaldi response! manjeet, devdutt- write to me at the_lost_artist@rediffmail.com and we’ll discuss the details.
Devdutt,
Surely. I think we need to re-ignite the good old days of ‘movie nights’ at your place – change of venue perhaps. Encourage discussion and spread the awareness. Keep me informed
Srinivas
PS: Good old anupam
i’ve attended katha screenings in the past and will be there for duvidha tomorrow. see you then
Dear Mr Kashyap,
My email is devdutt3vedi@hotmail.com
Devdutt
please guys keep me posted too for the screening…. private screening would be more appropriate than MMB
Kindly Consider me also for the screening….
my e-mail id is:umeshti@yahoo.co.in:)>-:-h
is it Kamal Swaroop you are talking about?
Yes Sir
We are talking about Kamal Swaroop and the one film he made.He also made a docu ‘Where the image meets its shadow’on Pushkar.Its available online for Rs 550 (from Delhi).
How strange. I and Kamal studied together at FTII in the same years. Last time I met him was at FD when Bankim (also my class mate) was chief. Good to know Kamal has such fan following. He was different from the Institue days.
How strange!! I and Kamal studied together at FTII in the same years. Last time I met him at Film Division when Bankim (also my classmate) was chief producer. Good to know Kamal has such fan following. He was different from the Institue days itself. I would love to see his film but unfortunately I stay in Calcutta. Hope you all enjoy the film. Why don’t you post a brief of the film?
Dear Mr Ray,
Would you know any way by which i can acquire some Aravindan’s or John’s (Abraham) on DVD.
Devdutt
Sorry for the apostrophe..thats just baaaaddd grammar…(probable reason) early in the morning
Devdutt