tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48860844238846149942024-03-04T21:56:11.348+05:30Remembering Film Institute DaysRamachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-24914113754934553722017-01-03T14:52:00.000+05:302017-01-03T14:52:05.028+05:30A friend passes away in a far off land <div style="text-align: justify;">
We had many foreign students studying in various departments during my
days at the Film Institute (1968-71). They were mostly from Afghanistan,
Africa, Singapore and from neighbouring countries Nepal, Bhutan,
Ceylon etc.Each course had quota for two Foreign students and were
mostly filled up. In our Cinematography class were Prem Kumar Upadhyaya
from Nepal and Naapo Gbande from Ghana. Since Prem knew Hindi very well,
we never felt he was a foreigner. Naapo was the most silent one who
always spoke in a soft voice.Though he was much older than many of us,
he looked young , tall and trim with a thin figure. Away from home he
was a little bit homesick and always had a worried look. In due course
we all became friends and he became happy and concentrated in his
studies.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>As a model in Lighting exercise</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span></td></tr>
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We used to have Lighting exercises in our Still Photography classes and
we ourselves used to stand in as Model for each others practicals. Also
we worked as a three member unit for our cinematography exercises etc.
Remember the<a href="http://institutewallah.blogspot.in/2007/11/puzzle-solved.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">photo</a>,
I published many years back in this Blog which was the main reason for
me to write this Blog on my Institute days. The person pushing the dolly
is Naapo Gbande and I am there holding the reflector while Jaya Bhaduri
faces the camera handled by Mr.Edwards.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs6YIzuI4_qeKxZJPy_7clFA809EcLGpDYtBtZPf_QiUs0JGrEgEkmf9I0FvHYgKnoI2aaovn5sNEXE0pjNU7fLDnLz1lpE29SB82mPqhWJTFM6nh5WlApL8g37PpywaOOxzm1t-DHTs/s1600/Ftii+practical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs6YIzuI4_qeKxZJPy_7clFA809EcLGpDYtBtZPf_QiUs0JGrEgEkmf9I0FvHYgKnoI2aaovn5sNEXE0pjNU7fLDnLz1lpE29SB82mPqhWJTFM6nh5WlApL8g37PpywaOOxzm1t-DHTs/s640/Ftii+practical.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Camera Practicals - Naapo pushing the Dolly</b></span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
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During the <a href="http://institutewallah.blogspot.in/2011/01/hung-up-on-wisdom-tree.html" target="_blank">strike at the Film Institute</a>,
all foreign students supported me and stood by me at all times. In fact
Naapo and David Ankora ( Sound Engineering) were always beside me to
protect me from any intended attack by the Acting students.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mmQQgD7F5YvmMBIB97mhYhWur5M1ZXQttBOA2as8f55V2u_W1jJLn6t17ujx21rsLxyUO9CSEx6Yerg7GZdPO-OFuOn8aG4ol2rIB9paFZU489A-Tc5lzlTQiFAayHhOrOl6ElxUqFc/s1600/Babu+Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mmQQgD7F5YvmMBIB97mhYhWur5M1ZXQttBOA2as8f55V2u_W1jJLn6t17ujx21rsLxyUO9CSEx6Yerg7GZdPO-OFuOn8aG4ol2rIB9paFZU489A-Tc5lzlTQiFAayHhOrOl6ElxUqFc/s400/Babu+Friends.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>David, me and Naapo</b></span></td></tr>
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When it was time to leave the Institute a whole lot of my foreign
friends turned up at the railway station to see me off. Almost half of
my friends in the photograph are from far off lands.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Send off at Poona Railway station</b></span></td></tr>
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We parted ways....immersed in our life and work we could not communicate
with them later on. Meanwhile my batch mates Ramlal Agarwal and Debu
Deodhar passed away some years back. Last month in the International
Dilm Festival of Kerala held at Thiruvananthapuram there were some films
from Ghana. I wanted to meet those film makers to inquire about my old
friends Naapo and David. But somehow I missed meeting them. I thought
of using the Internet to start searching for Naapo and I came to know of
the sad news that he passed away on October 17 th 2015.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDzTiHfzAFCc-BMUVXp99km2WJBeQR_RATpbHvY-Ndzo41nakWQPnu1r5VlDY99G0au_-eUoh-vlVVzkrpbw_g4ps4khFIiHXSSYY8kuPI5xon6Q5uG8RQRtsPTljPkSOgIkbkuFcLR0/s1600/Naapo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDzTiHfzAFCc-BMUVXp99km2WJBeQR_RATpbHvY-Ndzo41nakWQPnu1r5VlDY99G0au_-eUoh-vlVVzkrpbw_g4ps4khFIiHXSSYY8kuPI5xon6Q5uG8RQRtsPTljPkSOgIkbkuFcLR0/s400/Naapo_1.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Naapo in Ghana</b></span></td></tr>
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Given below is an obituary written by <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kouame
Koulibaly :</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A great cinematographer is gone </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The film
industry in Ghana lost one of its extremely brilliant cinematographers when Mr
Naapo Gbande<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>died on October 17,
2015<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the 37 Military Hospital in
Accra. He was 76.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Mr
Gbande worked for several years with the defunct Ghana Film Industry Corporation
(GFIC) where he shot numerous newsreels, documentaries and feature films.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">He later
moved on to the National Film and Television<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Institute (NAFTI) as a lecturer and many of the current professional
cinematographers in this country passed through his hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The
soft-spoken Mr Gbande worked as the cinematographer on several projects with
veteran film director, Mr Kwaw Ansah, who described him as an extremely
creative and diligent collaborator.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">“I
worked with him on Harvest At 17, Love Brewed In The African Pot, Heritage
Africa and several television commercials.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">“He
always tried to get images that truly complemented the essence of whatever was
being shot. His work brought true meaning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to the functions of a DOP<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a
film set,” Mr Ansah said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">A native
of Kpandai in the Northern Region, Mr Gbande realised early in life that
photography<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was his calling and he
diligently pursued it throughout his working life. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Mr
Gbande was trained in film photography at the Film and Television Institute of
India at Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Experienced
lighting technician, Mr Tetteh ‘Wrally’ Apain,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>worked with Mr Gbande on numerous productions and they remained close
friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">“I
enjoyed being on a set with him because he always knew what he was about. He
truly understood what photography was about and every lighting technician
cherished his presence during productions,” Mr Apain said about his late
friend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Apart
from his teaching and practical work, Mr<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gbande was also a facilitator at several cinema workshops<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in this country and abroad and he published
practical guides on lighting and camera movement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>late cinematographer will be buried on
Saturday, November 14, 2015 at the Madina Cemetery in Accra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will be sorely missed by the film making
fraternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>Adieu my friend, though we couldn't meet afterwards your memory will always linger in our minds forever. Rest In Peace</i></span></span></div>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-25674422338409104032014-10-25T11:12:00.000+05:302017-06-10T09:40:33.527+05:30Homage to Cinematographer Ashok Kumar, ISC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was the most crowded day of the year at Thekkinkadu Maidanam at Thrissur, for it was the final day of the famous Thrissur Pooram Festival, in 1976. People from all over Kerala had thronged there to watch the visually spectacular Kudamattom ( Changing of the colourful umbrellas ) and the massive parade of caparisoned elephants, hear the chenda melam and the final blasts of spectacular fireworks. My self and renowned Director Ramu Kariat with crew were looking for a vantage point in the ground for placing the camera and artistes to shoot a few sequences for our Malayalam film DWEEPU. While passing by, we luckily came across another pair of Director and Cinematographer who were also there to shoot the Pooram festival. Director J.D. Thottan and Cinematographer Ashok Kumar were there for the shoot of their film NURAYUM PATHAYUM. There is a saying in Malayalam " Poorapparambil kandu muttiya pole" (like meeting in the crowded Pooram Grounds). It was not such a meeting either. as Director J.D. Thottan and Poet Vayalar Rama Varma had lived for some time below the flat where John Abraham and I were staying during the shooting of our film VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sB8aTSzAsGHcJDVzScDo8Uvtkn7SpPgE77WGn-BmTLx3O3agtWOnQo3lm1fm0w4-Asi67KJEVLesceyRH9rJBMdPDWSYNo51Xh3Q0IykUh-5rHqtWWyh6M3y-9MMRZF2nKcO7CgTzZs/s1600/Ramu_Kariat_Ashok_kumar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sB8aTSzAsGHcJDVzScDo8Uvtkn7SpPgE77WGn-BmTLx3O3agtWOnQo3lm1fm0w4-Asi67KJEVLesceyRH9rJBMdPDWSYNo51Xh3Q0IykUh-5rHqtWWyh6M3y-9MMRZF2nKcO7CgTzZs/s1600/Ramu_Kariat_Ashok_kumar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Myself, Ramu Kariat, Krishnan Munnad (AD), Ashok Kumar, J.D.Thottan</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I had seen John Sankaramangalam's JANMABHOOMI ( cinematography by Ashok Kumar), while I was a student at the Film Institute of India, Poona in 1969. Later on Director P.N.Menon came to the Institute with his film KUTTIYEDATHI, also cinematography by Ashok Kumar. Afterwards, when I started working at Madras I had often been to the sets of Director P.N.Menon and had watched Ashok working there. Once I went to Kollam Neela Hotel with Director N.N. Pisharoady for obtaining the dates of Rani Chandra for our film RAGGING. At the time the shooting of Director P.N.Menon's film CHEMBARATHY was going on at the hotel and I found Ashok working and spent some time there.</div>
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At Madras, Director P.N.Menon asked me to shoot in place of Ashok for a day, a few scenes of Surasu for the film DARSANAM. After the shoot I was requested to shoot the title cards at their office. When I went there, there were only blank cards but P.N.Menon came there with some charcoal sticks and wrote the cards so fast, before I fixed one and photographed it, the next one was ready!</div>
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P.N.Menon played a great part in molding the cinematography of Ashok. He never gave time or enough lights and forced Ashok to improvise all the time and do experiments. He could learn how to use minimum lights and create great naturalistic lighting effect. Being a painter P.N.Menon planned his shots with light and shade and gave complete freedom for Ashok to experiment with cinematographic techniques.That mentoring by Director P.N.Menon made a lot of difference to Ashok' style of cinematography in his later career.</div>
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After his film MULLUM MALARUM, Director J.Mahendran was looking for a cinematographer for his film UDHIRIPPOOKKAL. He asked me to work in that film, but unfortunately I was doing Director Bharathan's film and the dates were overlapping and I expressed my inability to him. Then he asked me to suggest a suitable cinematographer from the Malayalam film industry and the first name that came to my mind was Ashok Kumar. Thus started a very creative and successful collaboration between Director J.Mahendran and Ashok Kumar, which resulted in some of the great films of Tamil Industry.</div>
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His later Tamil films were more commercial by nature and his style changed into glamour photography as seen in films like Jeans where he had exquisitely captured the beauty of Aishwarya Roy like never before. </div>
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He was also in the forefront in promoting women cinematographers by taking B.R.Vijayalakshmi and Suhasini under his wing. Also many people are of the impression that he passed out from Poona Film Institute, but he had done his DFT ( Diploma in Film Technology ) from the Madras ( Adayar) Institute.</div>
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During the shooting of Director Sasi Kumar's RANDU LOKAM due to the non availability of enough dates from the actors, we planned to have a second unit to shoot simultaneously for a few days. I requested Ashok and he gladly accepted and worked alongside me. Also when I was unable to complete Director P.N. Menon's Tamil film DEVATHAI, halfway through Ashok joined and completed the film and both our names can be found together in the credit titles.</div>
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After the 70 MM film PADAYOTTAM Director Jijo was looking for some more advanced technology and I suggested him to go for 3D and gave him some books on it. Armed with that , he went to U.S. and returned back with some test films which were projected at Udaya Studios Alleppey. Ashok who was there at the time shooting Director Fazil's film watched it too and offered his time, unconditionally, and thus got into India's First 3D film. I was invited to the sets of MY DEAR KUTTICHATTHAN by Director Jijo and watched the shooting for a day at the NAVODAYA Studios.</div>
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Although he concentrated more on Tamil Films he found time to come to Thiruvananthapuram for the Inauguration of Indian Society of Cinematographers by Master Cinematographer Subrata Mitra and became a Founder Member of ISC</div>
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Though he passed away physically his contribution to Indian Cinema will stand as testimony of his Cinematographic Art forever.</div>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-76043020974348574682014-08-26T18:51:00.000+05:302014-08-26T18:51:20.586+05:30Ganesh Chaturthi at Poona - 1968<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated with all pomp and grandeur all over India, in those days it was celebrated only inside homes at Southern parts of India. It was much a low key celebration confined to the temples and homes. In my childhood the clay Ganesha idols were individually hand crafted by the potter. I too used make my own Ganesha idol with clay for worshiping at home. Later on came the ready made moulds on which clay was applied and the idol was ready in minutes. Then it grew bigger and bigger with plaster of Paris idols, chemical dyes etc.. I had first experienced a big Ganesh Chaturthi procession, with huge crowds dancing with the drum beats and celebration in 1968 at Poona. It was also my first time living in Northern India. At that time I was a student of First year Diploma course in Motion Picture Photography at the Film Institute. There were quite a few festivals like Naag Panchami, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi etc which were widely celebrated.</div>
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Along with a few of my classmates I went to watch the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration and also to take some photos.R.S.Agarwal and Debu Deodhar were from Poona and were our local guides and took us around to various places.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9-Gp3Qw6aDugySZ2EoF5yxKNDE7P3_H7C19aKP2V_xmwkAg29rKXU6vBJMzrGGEfq4mrfBmc49utGrOGJn_30BPzrKua8BkIFI_COZWqPAQ4inc3a01J3-C3b56CR2J-xbGQtOecc_8/s1600/Ganpati+puja_(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9-Gp3Qw6aDugySZ2EoF5yxKNDE7P3_H7C19aKP2V_xmwkAg29rKXU6vBJMzrGGEfq4mrfBmc49utGrOGJn_30BPzrKua8BkIFI_COZWqPAQ4inc3a01J3-C3b56CR2J-xbGQtOecc_8/s1600/Ganpati+puja_(1).jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of the Floats</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Debu found a float from his area in the procession and took me also for a short ride in the celebrations and also posed with his friends for a photo. It was really a memorable experience, which rush to my mind when seeing vehicles carrying Ganesha idols pass by in front of my house, at Thiruvananthapuram !</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfy5Z2SkQVH-unhbE6leX8jP7EdkhI2FL-IN1gC0LFKFVIdpxg1KAJoQsUhewzF6QOCTY0iXGrrhDJJWPez5p_p2CNZhnIWUuoCWn_XGRm5zW2KOKTpQ3dAI7zoGv6thOa7oIkhLM0ys/s1600/Ganpati+puja_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfy5Z2SkQVH-unhbE6leX8jP7EdkhI2FL-IN1gC0LFKFVIdpxg1KAJoQsUhewzF6QOCTY0iXGrrhDJJWPez5p_p2CNZhnIWUuoCWn_XGRm5zW2KOKTpQ3dAI7zoGv6thOa7oIkhLM0ys/s1600/Ganpati+puja_2.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>With Debu Deodhar on my Right</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-35505040829879998742013-12-26T19:00:00.001+05:302017-01-03T16:26:02.040+05:30Which is India's First 70mm Film ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWnmOMGHeiSf4FEs1YfZxNdaVVcHYBGRkKIeQDJ0knH7i_rBR3k9OMcG_x6hSCA9jZP5nJ15y3_ycIqC_wdtl0qTampjFn6genbayxeTEMuKNr5cxDazl5XlXAhAfE7vUaOGvhTP3nTM/s1600/indian_cinema_100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWnmOMGHeiSf4FEs1YfZxNdaVVcHYBGRkKIeQDJ0knH7i_rBR3k9OMcG_x6hSCA9jZP5nJ15y3_ycIqC_wdtl0qTampjFn6genbayxeTEMuKNr5cxDazl5XlXAhAfE7vUaOGvhTP3nTM/s1600/indian_cinema_100.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Which is India's First 70mm Film ?</b></div>
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Usually the answer given to the above question is <b>SHOLAY,</b> released in 1975.</div>
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Because it was a highly successful Box Office hit, every one thought it must be so. But the fact is Pachhi’s 'AROUND THE WORLD' (1967/ Technicolor) was the first Indian
film to be actually released in the 70mm widescreen format, and also the
first with a magnetic, six-track stereophonic soundtrack. Just watch the opening credit sequence and the answer is crystal clear!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC5QxqKtvCtrgcDT1U3M7jNvZBL2q06j5nYVzKfyAxZxYHurChibYOLWW1y47XnmzzxDHF_BcCR7m76jz-btH9RxVdqG1rj896AjbLdJBe2MkCncdZKCDWjkxrY6mvAM5v_bNgBgw20k/s1600/Atw70mm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC5QxqKtvCtrgcDT1U3M7jNvZBL2q06j5nYVzKfyAxZxYHurChibYOLWW1y47XnmzzxDHF_BcCR7m76jz-btH9RxVdqG1rj896AjbLdJBe2MkCncdZKCDWjkxrY6mvAM5v_bNgBgw20k/s400/Atw70mm.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>From the Opening Titles</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Since actual 70mm (or 65mm) cameras and film were very expensive
at the time, both 'Around the World' and ‘Sholay’ were shot on
traditional 35mm film and the Academy 1.37:1 ratio picture was subsequently blown up,
cropped and matted to a 1: 2.21 ratio 70mm frame. Later films like "Padayottam,"‘The Burning Train,’ ‘Shaan’ and subsequent ‘70mm films’
were shot in CinemaScope, which has almost the same ‘aspect ratio of 1:2.35 and hence
there was negligible loss of image on the sides.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8QtYMoPJs6ZbiSclYH68CgrwEgTQffx7N34-flBLzRHDJcgKlAPoNS8b8k4bovIxM2JNdUzD-4HOB8YtOxI-r_PTmkQk-RLQnKHJmlYX-poedMR8XpLKKbONuZVyUi4Sn9BfSTa7ABc/s1600/Sholay-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8QtYMoPJs6ZbiSclYH68CgrwEgTQffx7N34-flBLzRHDJcgKlAPoNS8b8k4bovIxM2JNdUzD-4HOB8YtOxI-r_PTmkQk-RLQnKHJmlYX-poedMR8XpLKKbONuZVyUi4Sn9BfSTa7ABc/s400/Sholay-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The original Academy aperture and the 70 mm Blow up area</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnXRgLzmP2WpRcdNFluUGiyemR-pLALyaMQ50BGs7RUYTsQZDmrzUAIVHv1hFx23oGYif98vdWrYghnDgXgC1KsGatbNaVMaLQQ3wq0BmSyl_iH3Z7cvOl6YcMSqcSQ2sH1tVrlG7Mvo/s1600/india_70mm_frames_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnXRgLzmP2WpRcdNFluUGiyemR-pLALyaMQ50BGs7RUYTsQZDmrzUAIVHv1hFx23oGYif98vdWrYghnDgXgC1KsGatbNaVMaLQQ3wq0BmSyl_iH3Z7cvOl6YcMSqcSQ2sH1tVrlG7Mvo/s400/india_70mm_frames_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Frame from Padayottam</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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In the case of both 'Around the World' and 'Sholay' exactly four 70mm
prints were released in the first instance: two were allotted to the
Bombay-Maharashtra territory, and one each to Delhi and U.P. And yet
both films were screened in 70mm at two cinema halls in Delhi ('Around The World' at
Odeon and Liberty and 'Sholay' at Plaza and Liberty). This was achieved
by shuttling the 70mm print allotted to Delhi between the two halls. T
he Malayalam 70 mm film PADAYOTTAM also had only Four 70mm prints taken and was released in Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Trichur and Calicut centres.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the decades 'Sholay' has acquired such a dedicated fan following
that fans insist that it was India's first film in 70mm and six-track
stereophonic sound, even though the film's makers have never made any
such claim.Now that we are celebrating the Centenary of Indian Cinema we should correct such errors which may pass down in to the History of Cinema.</div>
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<b>Question No: 2</b></div>
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<b>Which is India's First CinemaScope Film ?</b> </div>
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The most common answer will be ‘<b>Kaagaz Ke Phool</b>’ (Hindi-Urdu, 1959) (Hindi -1959) B & W, CinemaScope film which was done in technical collaboration
with 20th Century Fox. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In a way the answer is correct. But CinemaScope is the Registered Trade Mark of 20 th Century Fox
International Corporation and Royalty had to be paid for the use of the
name "CinemaScope" in the publicity material. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghaLlC4Qw3FxsR7cEuP-g7nTy3Lw9mtEoJsQ83Z9BkVDJ5q8xR8L6OwVupN5gx3K4mUEfRGzbNRDD4YQ1KDnm9ATcYXS8ypTMNhEkNVK_Cfigg2tGC28mhvS9yKJGRhdOOMRzcXN1q90/s1600/RRC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghaLlC4Qw3FxsR7cEuP-g7nTy3Lw9mtEoJsQ83Z9BkVDJ5q8xR8L6OwVupN5gx3K4mUEfRGzbNRDD4YQ1KDnm9ATcYXS8ypTMNhEkNVK_Cfigg2tGC28mhvS9yKJGRhdOOMRzcXN1q90/s320/RRC4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Licence from 20 th Century Fox</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In order to overcome that various countries developed their own widescreen systems such as Hypergoner, Superscope, T<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technirama" target="_blank">echnirama</a>, Superscope 235, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techniscope" target="_blank">Techniscope</a>, Arriscope, SovScope, etc. all employing 2X Anamorphic processes.</div>
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The bilingual Indo-Soviet film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardesi_%281957_film%29" target="_blank">‘<b>Pardesi</b>’</a> (Hindi-Urdu/ Russian/ dirs:
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Vasili M. Pronim) was released in 1957. The film is
called ‘Khozhdenie za tri morya’ in Russian and
its subtitled English version is known as ‘Journey Beyond Three Seas.’ <b>
India’s first wide-screen film</b> was in SovColor. However, even though it
starred Nargis, the most successful heroine of the time, this biopic
about Afanasi, a 15th century Russian explorer in India, did not get a
release beyond a few left-leaning art house cinemas. It was shot using the SovScope Anamorphic processes which was quite <b><i>similar </i></b>to CinemaScope. Its Censor Certificate states ‘Colour, Scope’ and gives the name of its
filmmakers as ‘Meera Movies’ and ‘Son[?]a Sansar International'. Some songs in colour as well as in Black and White is available for viewing in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pardesi+1957+songs&oq=pardesi+1957&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0l3.196429.207806.0.210184.14.11.1.2.2.0.499.2687.0j1j8j1j1.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.YrRxAUHh9iY" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. Can this film be considered as <b>India’s first wide-screen ( Scope) film ?</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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While viewing <b>Pardesi </b>I was struck<b> </b>by the uncanny resemblance<b> </b>to the lighting style employed in a dance sequence, to that of <b>Kaagaz Ke Phool</b> which came two years later!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud4DX5_e4bhevNKeKQi2LMSkzNf0WLQFM2WQrX0Biz2_GgsJDMAxFtxE2wKRwMUhY9MYDdqE0bVeZjhQnrMQh0Kny3sz5AC-bRJ09yqcuLJWP8-gotRnq4VWwyNOYHlcc4gnBDoSFn58/s1600/Pardesi_1957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud4DX5_e4bhevNKeKQi2LMSkzNf0WLQFM2WQrX0Biz2_GgsJDMAxFtxE2wKRwMUhY9MYDdqE0bVeZjhQnrMQh0Kny3sz5AC-bRJ09yqcuLJWP8-gotRnq4VWwyNOYHlcc4gnBDoSFn58/s400/Pardesi_1957.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pardesi 1957</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkvONEQKsNe0aRcbxctjsDvaeEki9_m-mQToRk_i2YR8SOWCXxgAUL9JUVI2NTjJfuPz0woxVJmCQMHPTjs9GXhaAa1oAxzZ1gNVczgpyVWuwAiPcUieHDBlhA-FLHfsA9eIV3gn2eYw/s1600/Kaagaz+Ke+Phool(1959).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkvONEQKsNe0aRcbxctjsDvaeEki9_m-mQToRk_i2YR8SOWCXxgAUL9JUVI2NTjJfuPz0woxVJmCQMHPTjs9GXhaAa1oAxzZ1gNVczgpyVWuwAiPcUieHDBlhA-FLHfsA9eIV3gn2eYw/s400/Kaagaz+Ke+Phool(1959).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Both the Cinematographers thought alike!</i></div>
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</div>
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It is time for our historians to rethink and rewrite the History of Indian Cinema in this Centenary Year with more and more research.</div>
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For More details Click<a href="http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/CinemaScope_films_in_Bangladesh,_India,_Nepal,_Pakistan,_Sri_Lanka#South_Indian_.28and_other_Indian.29_cinema" target="_blank"> HERE</a> for Indiapedia article <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span dir="auto">- CinemaScope films in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka</span></span><br />
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-85045259011472491942013-04-25T05:31:00.000+05:302013-04-25T06:00:58.002+05:30Vidyarthikaley Ithile Ithile - Final Part<div style="text-align: justify;">
The duration of the shooting extended to nearly a year in several schedules due to John's vagaries and Producer's financial conditions. Inspite of that Producer Minnal had immense faith in John and had roped in some of the popular artistes such as, character actor S.V. Ranga Rao, comedienne Manorama and M.R.R Vasu from the Tamil Industry to act in his film. Manorama even had sung a Malayalam song <a href="http://msidb.org/s.php?2683" target="_blank">" Chinchilam chiluchilam"</a> with Adoor Bhasi for the first and only time in this film, under the baton of M.B.Sreenivasan.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">We <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were fortunate to have M.B Srinivasan as our
Music Director. In those days the Institute graduates were looked upon with
contempt and suspicion by the veterans of the film world. But MBS was different,
he immediately took a liking for us and soon became our friend, philosopher and
guide. Along with John Abraham and Script Writer M.Azad , I used to attend the
song composing sessions and rehearsals at his Cenatoph Road residence at
Chennai, which was enhanced by warmth and hospitality of Zahida Deedi, his
Kashmiri Wife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">It was at MBS's residence that
, I met Yesudas for the first time. In those days the singers learned the songs
and had the rehearsals at the residence of the Music Directors before going to
the Recording theatres. They have to be well prepared as recordings are done
with full orchestra and in one full take and any mistake means that the whole
take had to be once again taken in full! Unlike the present cut and paste era,
in those days every sound was recorded live, in the studio. During the
rehearsals the musicians, singers and other assembled at one place and
practiced to perfection. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">During the rehearsals I listened to MBS singing the song
<a href="http://msidb.org/s.php?2682" target="_blank">“ Nalanda…. Thakshasila …”</a> written by Vayalar Rama Varma. Later on, I heard the
recorded song sung by Yesudas. But in spite of the great voice somehow I felt
that the song sung by MBS even with poor Malayalam pronunciation and voice
quality was superior and Yesudas could never match the feelings and emotional
quality of the song. This I am not saying to belittle Yesudas as a singer. Any
Director who sits during song composing sessions will agree with me. When it
comes from the Music Director the impact is direct and never a second hand
product. It comes from deep inside the Music Director's soul itself as he had
been living with the song for many days. A singer could never match the
emotional feel of the song as sung by the music director as at the maximum he
can only imitate the Music Director. There lies the difference between the
original and a copy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">There was one more song <a href="http://msidb.org/s.php?2684" target="_blank">"Velichame Nayichaalum"</a> sung by S.Jankai which is still very popular even today. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">John had a great sense of Music and sings fairly well and
in spite of his eccentricities was much liked by MBS. He treated him like a
younger brother and advised him against excessive drinking. John had the
freedom to knock at his door at any hour of the day or night and MBS was always
willing to play host to him. It was this relationship that was instrumental for
John to cast MBS as the eccentric professor in "Agraharathil
Kazhuthai", a Tamil Film, produced by John's sister and Charly John.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">MBS always stood for the working class and fought for
their genuine and reasonable rights and welfare. With the late Nemai Ghosh in
the Sixties he established the early Trade Unions for the Film Industry at
Chennai. He made me to become a Member of the Cine Technician’s Guild<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the first Trade union for Cine workers in
South India.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: ML; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b>Another escapade by John </b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">One day I received a call from K.G. George<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>frantically asking for John’s whereabouts,
and he told me to find John immediately and keep him in some safe place as John’s
life is in danger .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him the
reason for it. It so happened that a drunk John went to meet George who was
working as Assistant to Ramu Kariat for the film MAYA. George was supposed to
be at the Jayamaruthi pictures<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>office
which was a part of the residence of the Producer T.E.Vasudevan. When<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John went there George was not there and the
doors were closed. The house had two gates, the larger one was permanently
locked and the other smaller one open. John was standing in front of the locked
gate and rang the bell. No one opened the door, but he could see some movement
behind the window and sensed that there are indeed people inside the house.
Actually what happened was, there were only womenfolk inside and seeing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John’s shabby dress and beard mistook him for
a beggar and did not open the door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Since whoever was inside were not deliberately opening the
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by this sudden development. Finding no one coming out of the house, he jumped over the gate, reached the main
door and started banging it repeatedly. In fear of their life the inmates
called their near and dear for help. The news spread like wildfire in the film
industry as Producer T.E.Vasudevan of Jayamaruthi pictures<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was one of the most respected<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people in Madras. It was atrocious that
someone created trouble when only women folk were there, and it was decided
that whoever responsible was to be given a severe beating. Harry Pothen’s
drivers, Padmini’s brother Aniyan, Sobhana Parameswaran Nair, Manikandan Nair<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a whole lot of people were in search of
the culprit John. They were looking for him in every possible place at Madras.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">It was then George telephoned and told me that any moment
they will catch hold of John and beat him up. I then contacted our Producer
Minnal and together searched and found John in one of his regular arrack den.
We told him a lie that his brother at Kumbakonam wants him to come there on
some urgent matter. John was taken to Egmore Railway station and was put in a
second class compartment (those were the days of First, Second and third classes) and waited till
the train left. On seeing the shabbily dressed John sitting in the second class compartment,
a gentleman passenger seated nearby was staring at him with suspicion. Sensing that,
John immediately pulled out his ticket from his pocket, showed it to him and
said “Look, I have got a second class ticket”. The man hung his head in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shame as he had thought John was some vagrant
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">John returned months later well dressed with his shirt
tucked in and with a clean shaved face and a nice moustache. He had transformed
himself into an entirely new person, totally unrecognizable!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Our Producer Minnal had entrusted the safeguarding of John to me and
always handed over the money for our daily expenses to me and not to John. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John was left penniless so that he will not go
after liquor. From the money I had, I paid for all<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John’s needs like food, beedi and other
expenses but liquor was the forbidden item.. I was always with him to see that
he doesn’t get access to country liquor sold under the Kodambakkam bridge. Even
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Once we were invited for a party at Ramu Kariat’s place
at Ashok Nagar attended by celebrities like Vayalar, Kannadasan, Harry Pothen,
Sobhana Parameswaran Nair, K.G. George and others. In those days the last bus
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was cycle rickshaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the party was
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drunk John board the vehicle. While we were travelling on the deserted
Kodambakkam High Road John burst into singing loudly some old song. Once in a
while he will put his leg on the shoulder of the rickshaw driver. I had to
pacify the driver and take off John’s legs from his shoulder. Fortunately there
was no police patrol at that time, otherwise we both would have ended up in the
lock up.</span></span></div>
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</xml><![endif]--></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In spite of his wayward life and addiction to alcohol John
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had a great number of friends and
admirers amongst the cream of intelligentsia of Madras. Apart from the film
industry<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he had contacts with people
like literary critic M. Govindan,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Danseuse Chandralekha, Tamil writer Jayakanthan, Painter K.C.S.
Panikkar, Theatre group Madras players etc. He had the extraordinary capacity
to mingle with any class or type<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of
people. Once while the editing was going on at the New Era Lab <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>suddenly he was missing. He was later found to
be among<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the mourners dancing in the
funeral procession that passed by the Lab. Even though I had never seen him
reading any book, mention the name of any book and he will quote or say
something about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Our shooting unit entirely consisted of Film Institute Graduates - Director John Abraham, Scriptwriter M.Azad, Editor Ravi and Sound Recordist Devadas. At that time Devadas was working in the Chitraleka Film Co-operative in Trivandrum and he used to come and join us with the Nagra Recorder as at that time many Sound recordists at Madras were reluctant to use a portable recorder.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">John was open to new ideas and planned one sequence of stop motion animation of Adoor Bhasi's character riding without a bike being chased by Dracula in a nightmare sequence.It took one full day to shoot with my friend Kasturi Murthy hand cranking one frame at a time using the Mitchell camera and Adoor Bhasi moving a little at time holding the position of riding an imaginary motorbike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">One of those days we shot a small sequence on the sets of a studio where popular Tamil Director A.P.Nagarajan was shooting a Devotional film, where our child artiste solicit donation to help a noble cause.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> Below are the two frames from the original camera negative taken when the camera was test run after the film from loaded magazine was threaded in the camera. I found this piece from the NG negative cuttings in the editing room and it is the only surviving " working still of my First feature film!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Two frames from the Camera negative</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A discussion : John in centre and myself on the right</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> The story was an adaptation of a French film by Azad and John was not happy about introducing the so called " Commercial elements" in his film. He often used to say that it was not his kind of film and ultimately decided to include and "Alienation sequence" in the film. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In a Ganja smoker's den John, Azad. Deavadas, Editor Ravi and myself discussed about the film we were making and denounced the film saying that it doesn't represent our true intentions and likings and not the kind of film we, as responsible film makers should have attempted to make. Although we actually shot the scene, it was ultimately edited out of the film for obvious reasons.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Finally a year after the film started, it finally made it to the theatres in Kerala 1973, but for a lukewarm reception.</span></div>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-78857427499007026672013-02-20T13:27:00.000+05:302013-02-21T09:01:50.969+05:30D.Gautaman , Genius away from the limelight<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I joined the Film Institute, Poona in 1968 one of the Diploma Films from the earlier batch which impressed me most was " A Love Tale" which was Directed by D.Gautaman. The way a car accident sequence's shots were edited was a real eye opener of how shots can be taken and used to create an impact much like the famous shower scene in PSYCHO directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film went on to win many awards Nationally and Internationally. His student Documentary " The Builders" also won a few awards.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>D. Gautaman, as student at Film Institute</b></td></tr>
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A brilliant student, Gautaman passed out from the Film Institute with Gold Medal along with Prem Sagar ( Motion Picture Photography) and Navin Nischol (Acting) who both became stars in their respective fields.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EtQt5WjqEpwNcUE7O2RzUF6MiziDUaBaqXH5QGmhkloQDJVoAg7jaYWXdx7HeMGjFpbpZhaF88YRz6-LB8euBMWB3oYuBdwlxt09conYxRlJxDYPo6fuWCHth8Ho__fGm4qBFG0y9I0/s1600/Gautaman_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EtQt5WjqEpwNcUE7O2RzUF6MiziDUaBaqXH5QGmhkloQDJVoAg7jaYWXdx7HeMGjFpbpZhaF88YRz6-LB8euBMWB3oYuBdwlxt09conYxRlJxDYPo6fuWCHth8Ho__fGm4qBFG0y9I0/s400/Gautaman_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>At the Convocation - Front row, extreme right is Gautaman and next to him is Prem Sagar</b></td></tr>
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I was sure that Gautaman will definitely become a great feature film maker in the Indian Film scenario. For some time he had worked in the Institute as part time lecturer and had also directed a Diploma film "A View from the Fort" in which Radha Saluja did the lead role and I think cienematography was done by Bala Mahendran. It was during his sojourn at the Institute I had the the opportunity to get acquainted with him.He was quiet by nature, with an unassuming personality.It was he who proclaimed that John Abraham was a Genius, says his friend and alumni Kabeer Rowther.</div>
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Gautaman later on joined Shri Ramu Kariat to assist him in the Malayalam Feature film ABHAYAM. It ws he who recommended Bala Mahendran as a talented Cinematographer to Director Ramu Kariat and brought him to Madras from Ceylon. In those days except for Acting students in Bombay few of the Institute Graduates could get a break in the film industry. He found it hard to face life's insecurities at the Film Industry and sought security of Government job at the Films Division. I was told that he was selected for the job of Producer by none other than the great V. Shantaram. He was much impressed when during the interview Gautaman recollected from memory a long list of films directed by Shantaram !</div>
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For Films Division he had produced many Nationally and Internationally award winning Documentaries and rose up to the top as the Chief Producer and retired. Though he ws a native of Kerala, he settled with his family in Bangalore. After retirement he became a Member of Advisory Committee of U.P.S.C. While on duty in Delhi for conducting an interview he had massive heart attack and passed away on 18 th February 2013.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>D.Gautaman</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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He was 73, and is survived by his wife Saramma and son Soumendhu.</div>
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It was a great loss to the Film Industry that he did not attempt to make any Feature film though he was one of the most talented Directors of our time. But Films Division becme the winner by having him at its helm and Documentaries became his forte. Film Industry's loss became Films Division's gain!</div>
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Unfortunately his passing way was not given its due importance in the media since he chose to work away from the limelight. All I could find only was a small obituary note in Mathrubhumi Malayalam Newspaper.</div>
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He really deserves much more recognition than this. I do hope that his friends and well wishers would come out with their memoirs and fill the void. I was told that even on the night before his death he was talking of his time at the Film Institute and reminiscing about his fellow alumni who made it into the film industry.</div>
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My heartfelt condolences to his bereaving family.</div>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-59579857277295289812013-01-30T10:25:00.000+05:302013-03-06T07:49:22.253+05:30Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile Part 3 - Arrival of Bala Mahendran at Madras<div style="text-align: justify;">
One day while walking towards our Producer Minnal's office at Wallajah Road,
Triplicane, a tall lean man approached me. When he came near I
recognized him, it was Bala Mahendran with out his French beard. I had
known him at the Institute as he was my senior by one year and was also the batch mate of John Abraham and Azad. During the Institute days he had a different look with receding hair and a French
beard and had not started wearing his trade mark cap. He was mostly found in the company of foreign students since he
was a native of Ceylon. Even though most of the time he spoke in English,
since his name was Bala Mahendran I guessed that he must be knowing Tamil
and I used to speak to him in Tamil when ever I met him on a few occasions. He
was a reclusive person and had only a few friends mostly foreigners and some South Indians at the Institute. His
peers at the Institute told me that he was such a romantic person that
even when he visited Budhawar Peth Red light area he used to take flowers, kaajal, bras etc as gifts
to his regular girls there.</div>
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<b>Bala Mahendran </b></div>
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A tired looking Balu was extremely happy to see me at Wallajah Road and narrated his sad condition. D. Gautaman, his senior at the Institute in Direction who was working as assistant to Director Ramu Kariat had recommended Bala Mahendran for his next colour film NELLU. Hoping that the film will start soon, Bala arrived in Madras and was staying with some distant relatives. The start of the film got delayed and with no income, his relatives were about to show him the door. He was on the look out for alternate accommodation and had no money as Ramu Kariat had gone to Kerala for the shooting of another film. He also didn't have much friends at Madras and was roaming around. It was then he happened to see me on Wallajah road. On learning about his pathetic condition, I offered to take him up with me for staying in our producer's flat at Mahalingapuram. At that time there was a break in our shooting schedule and all others like John, Azad etc had left for their native places and I was living there alone and it was easy to accommodate him there.</div>
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My producer Minnal on his way to his office used to come there and give me money for the day's food expenses and I used that amount to feed both of us. After a few days I had to go home for Deepavali and Bala could not be left there as he was not in a position to meet his daily expenses in my absence. So I decided to take him along with me to my home at Maduranthakam which was 50 miles away from Madras. There he stayed for a few days with my family and then we returned to Madras together. Soon Ramu Kariat returned from his Kerala location shooting and Bala managed to get some money and found alternate accommodation, but he still remained unemployed.</div>
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In the mean time myself and Kasturi Kurthy had to go Poona for my Viva Voce examinations. But a few days of the busy actress Jaya Bharathi was available and all of a sudden the shooting of a song sequence was planned on the same dates. So I had to find an alternate cameraman to do the work in my absence. Since Bala was from the Institute and batch mate of John and Azad, I suggested to let Bala do the work. John preferred some one from the Institute and he accepted Bala. Thus Bala started his career in feature films by cranking the camera under the direction of John Abraham for a song picturisation sequence in the film VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE.</div>
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The film Nellu took still longer to materialize and Bala used to visit us often as we were all from the Poona Film Institute. K.G.George who had joined Ramu Kariat also was part of our group. In the meantime Director P.N.Menon was on the lookout for a cameraman for his B&W Malayalam film " PANIMUDAKKU " ( Strike). Bala got the break to work as an independent cameraman for a feature film.The film was to be shot in a place called Puthukkad near Trichur, Kerala. At that time Bala didn't have an exposure meter the essential tool for any cameraman. He didn't have the money to buy one either and even if he had, he need to place an order with the Xaca company at Mount road and it will take weeks to arrive from Bombay.</div>
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Since I wasn't shooting at that time, I lent him my own exposure meter and also sent my friend Kasturi Murthy who was working with me to be his assistant for the film. After the shooting started, from the money I obtained from the producers of that film I purchased a new Sekonic exposure meter and sent it over to Bala's location. Kasturi Murthy later kept on associated with him for many of Bala's films.</div>
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The film NELLU still needed more time to materialize, but soon Ramu Kariat started a B&W film MAYA and gave Bala the opportunity to work with him. Ramu Kariat was the main reason behind Bala coming to India from Ceylon. Meanwhile he had changed his name into Balu Mahendra and is now known only by that name.</div>
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In spite of having done this much for him he had never shown the courtesy of inviting me inside his home on the two or three occasions that I visited his residence at Madras. He always met me at the gate and saw me off, never letting me in. Strange!</div>
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May be he was too much protective or possessive about his family ! </div>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-81367182717245315152012-11-05T08:31:00.000+05:302012-11-05T08:31:24.361+05:30VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE - Part 2 - John Abraham gets Arrested<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a long train journey from Poona, Kasturi Murthy and I returned to our flat at Madras Mahalingapuram and were getting ready for a refreshing bath. I was standing on the balcony and some one beckoned me from the road, who claimed to be a policeman. Since he was not in uniform,I signed him to come up to my flat and explain what he wants. The man came up and showed his identity card and said that our Director John Abraham had been arrested for being drunk and is being held in the lock up at the Nungambakkam police station. ( those were the days when Prohibition was in force in Tamil Nadu). Suddenly he noticed two empty XXX Rum bottles lying near our baggage and started questioning us about it. We convinced him that we had just arrived from Poona and those bottles were filled with water for use during our long train journey and as proof we showed him our train tickets too. In those days when packaged drinking water was not in vogue, empty glass bottles were used by most of the passengers to fill up water from wayside stations.<br />
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The policeman then told us arrange for bail to get John released from the Police station. I immediately telephoned our producer Mr.Minnal and informed him and soon he went to the station and obtained bail for John and they both arrived at our flat. Then John explained to us how it all happened.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbZl3TnolP3A1c0h5Cuj9xuLpUgXcr0rtvtQw2X5as6xrOqxRsVffKmfoY_DUt_11Pz7K4abP-jU3ffTeGop3GSoVUKDhwZZFc9_YhpngAaLi6RS9xo1wUlp4t2zslgO5EfmZgz00qGg/s1600/Minnal.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706931939057396146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbZl3TnolP3A1c0h5Cuj9xuLpUgXcr0rtvtQw2X5as6xrOqxRsVffKmfoY_DUt_11Pz7K4abP-jU3ffTeGop3GSoVUKDhwZZFc9_YhpngAaLi6RS9xo1wUlp4t2zslgO5EfmZgz00qGg/s400/Minnal.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 263px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Producer Minnal</span></div>
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Under the Kodambakkam railway over bridge there were a few illicit country liquor dens catering to die hard addicts during Prohibition days.That afternoon John went there to have a few drinks and was returning back to our flat. In 1971, Mahalingapuram was a vast open space littered with a few building here and there.That day even at noon it was a really deserted place except for a young girl walking ahead of John. He was shabbily dressed with unkempt long hair, beard and mustache and was walking with faltering steps. His very appearance created fear in the girl's mind and she started walking faster. On seeing this, just for fun John also increased his pace a little more. As she increased her speed of walking , John also increased his speed. This continued for some time till the girl started to run and just like that, John also ran after her. She ran into a slum adjoining the railway tracks and shouted for help and people started coming out of the huts. Meanwhile someone telephoned the police and in a few minutes police came and arrested him before he was beaten up. Thus a small innocent act for fun ended in John being put behind the bars in police lock up.<br />
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The next day he was produced in the Saidapet Magistrate's court and one by one cases were being heard and disposed off quickly as most of them were Prohibition cases. It went on like this:<br />
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Magistrate: <i>What is your name ?</i><br />
Accused : <i>Kuppusami </i><br />
Magistrate: <i>Did you drink?</i><br />
Accused : <i>Yes Sir.</i><br />
Magistrate: <i>What's your Job ?</i><br />
Accused : <i>Carpenter</i><br />
Magistrate: <i>Fined Rs.5.</i>.<br />
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The next person comes...<br />
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Magistrate: <i>What is your name ?</i><br />
Accused : <i>Muthu</i><br />
Magistrate: <i> Did you drink? </i><br />
Accused : <i>Yes Sir.</i><br />
Magistrate: <i>What's your Job ?</i><br />
Accused : <i>Rickshaw puller.</i>.<br />
Magistrate: <i><b>Fined Rs.5..</b></i><br />
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Now it was the turn of John <br />
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Magistrate: <i>What is your name ?</i><br />
John :<i> John Abraham</i><br />
Magistrate: <i>Did you drink?</i><br />
John : <i>Yes</i><br />
Magistrate: <i>What's your Job ?</i><br />
John : <i>I am a FILM DIRECTOR !</i><br />
Magistrate: <b><i> Twenty Five Rupees !</i></b><br />
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Afterwards the Producer was jokingly lamenting that had John told the Magistrate that he was employed in some petty other job, he would have saved Twenty Rupees!<br />
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-73868153076901143152011-07-10T11:35:00.005+05:302011-07-10T11:46:27.395+05:30Mani Kaul - A personal remembrance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROO7pYF80oVXY7VfZ-0Lt4frP3TalLqa1llVDS7LgorF0Lz8i3ihDHjztxP0rIJoUEjNBrgWHCh4b2F6FTTb9Id9KOdVVsm_qaaVTaA1MfDvNmsM5ZDmLWQQOvXAmvSPR5R2WCsoZoQU/s1600/mani_kaul.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROO7pYF80oVXY7VfZ-0Lt4frP3TalLqa1llVDS7LgorF0Lz8i3ihDHjztxP0rIJoUEjNBrgWHCh4b2F6FTTb9Id9KOdVVsm_qaaVTaA1MfDvNmsM5ZDmLWQQOvXAmvSPR5R2WCsoZoQU/s400/mani_kaul.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627601091473002802" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mani Kaul</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">While many Film makers made compromises for their existence, Mani Kaul till the very last breath remained an uncompromising, individualistic creator of films. His films were far ahead of their times which will be always cherished by connoisseurs of good cinema.<br /><br />I was a student at the Poona Film Institute when he had come there to screen his debut film USKI ROTI in 1970. The film was really something we have not seen before on the Indian screen, consisting of lengthy static camera shots and used only one 28 mm lens for the whole film. Many of us didn't like it at all in the first viewing , because of the static lengthy shots and slow pace of the film. But a repeated viewing made us to study the film more deeply, made us to think and not remain as passive viewers. The carefully composed images of light and shade created by K.K.Mahajan in Black and White was another factor that contributed much to the film. I got introduced to him after the screenings and soon became a friend. During his visits to the Institute, which were quite frequent we used to meet along with K.G.George and other friends under the Wisdom tree or at the canteen. You are sure to find him always surrounded by admiring students. Such was his magnetic personality.<br /><br />At that time he was having a love interest with a Tamilian girl Lalitha, (whom he later on married) and he asked me to teach him a few words in Tamil so as to impress her. He used to write down words like " Naan unnai kadhalikkeren " ( "I love you ") on a piece of paper and memorize it with proper pronunciation. Later on I have also visited his house "Janaki Kutir" at Mumbai and enjoyed his and Lalitha's hospitality. Though he was my senior, he introduced me to his wife Lalitha as his Tamil teacher!<br /><br />Ravi Menon who was my batch mate at the Institute had done the lead role in Mani's Hindi film "DUVIDHA" before he made his debut in Malayalam films with M.T Vasudevan Nair's National Award winning "NIRMALYAM" for which I was the cinematographer. Ravi used tell me a number of interesting incidents from his shooting experience with Mani Kaul's team. I lost touch with Mani for a number of years after I relocated to Thiruvananthapuram. A few years back I happened to meet him during the International Film Festival of Kerala and that was our last meeting. He passed away on 6 th July 2011.<br /><br />I have lost an old friend and great soul and Indian Film Industry had lost a Master Film maker!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I sincerely pray for his soul to Rest in Peace</span><br /></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-49068635285382575402011-06-26T04:08:00.006+05:302012-02-09T05:27:44.069+05:30Farewell Party<div style="text-align: justify;">Hailing from different parts of India as well the world, being together in the Institute for three years, sharing experiences we have developed bonds of unbreakable friendships that lasts till today. This uniqueness I have not seen nowhere else except the FTII-ians. Even I myself do not keep in touch with my college-mates from Loyola, Madras except one who stumbled upon me in Facebook after a gap of more than 40 years! The togetherness we were enjoying at the Institute was nearing an end and soon we will walk out of its hallowed gates to seek our fortunes in the Film Industry.<br /><br />Myself and Murthy had to return to Poona for a few days from our shooting at Madras to appear for our Viva Voce examinations. Our old friends were back again together and we were all happy to meet each other after a short gap. When the Viva was over it was time to bid Adieu to our friends and the Institute.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We all organized a grand Get Farewell party and had a pleasant evening at a hotel in Deccan Gymkhana. Here are the memories from that night :<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRE4A0_wX9KIHCKvTkDzaiPdYFPJPTZVA4lflEYKvJ_XKUoiOL_cQ5UzQzb_YxGRep6YJCY59zEezXoyohzhcSUPLBYVr4aPX68nH4opfJQ86WUCvgHJKLbzCZt56PjL5Ns2KlvKdRbI/s1600/Farewell_2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRE4A0_wX9KIHCKvTkDzaiPdYFPJPTZVA4lflEYKvJ_XKUoiOL_cQ5UzQzb_YxGRep6YJCY59zEezXoyohzhcSUPLBYVr4aPX68nH4opfJQ86WUCvgHJKLbzCZt56PjL5Ns2KlvKdRbI/s400/Farewell_2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622310647512353746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpQkMkyuRO6mXbPL0nd_fHcFGoyhWATQ7-rUgNfpgi5NKc-XkAzqUAW0f963YkhIRh9RGyAzwfEQv6FqpN-n16nHw8dlBsc00AC_MI9FB6jkqdE50rpIwwxA5V_IFOfkuGsAjmZLbts/s1600/Farewell_3.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpQkMkyuRO6mXbPL0nd_fHcFGoyhWATQ7-rUgNfpgi5NKc-XkAzqUAW0f963YkhIRh9RGyAzwfEQv6FqpN-n16nHw8dlBsc00AC_MI9FB6jkqdE50rpIwwxA5V_IFOfkuGsAjmZLbts/s400/Farewell_3.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622310655563698434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsNbyd-oDFctqXZ3ggBkDkoydiIFDWNYkwPiCoIAGWhZ2YmsQAINYrKhqxbC11CMeCGU_sduluaYWIHQQYv-aO5OvKHQ5nJw4d0zkw_QJIMr00eiHhnXaUXFv-dFBy5OqOCJReIYMorY/s1600/Farewell_4.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsNbyd-oDFctqXZ3ggBkDkoydiIFDWNYkwPiCoIAGWhZ2YmsQAINYrKhqxbC11CMeCGU_sduluaYWIHQQYv-aO5OvKHQ5nJw4d0zkw_QJIMr00eiHhnXaUXFv-dFBy5OqOCJReIYMorY/s400/Farewell_4.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622310667196236818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDR5B0ce7gksUaEV94rGNu58oTWmmWFEN_ib-02QEws4NQwvN-T6oLgo64fKdA7qIfhVeb7rLI9yi2twBMNiynuY7VIvhpq2B3MhEMxM80OYbhK-tSEYxr1_6CnyQcU8wFmdPPhTZxLQ/s1600/Farewell-1.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDR5B0ce7gksUaEV94rGNu58oTWmmWFEN_ib-02QEws4NQwvN-T6oLgo64fKdA7qIfhVeb7rLI9yi2twBMNiynuY7VIvhpq2B3MhEMxM80OYbhK-tSEYxr1_6CnyQcU8wFmdPPhTZxLQ/s400/Farewell-1.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622310636178570290" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">After dinner Group Photo </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">(From L to R - K.Ramachandra Murthy, Sushil K Jolly, Harish Gupta,<br />K. Ramachandra Babu, Prem Kumar Upadhyay, Naapo Gbande, Ramlal Agarwal, Venugopal Thakker, K. K.Jaiswal, Anil Dhanda, S D Deodhar and Surendra Sahu)<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;">To</span> see us off back to Madras not only our whole batch but also friends from other departments and also friendly foreign students turned up at the Poona Railway station.<br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoyTPhWSLCj24fNk22YtQDxJymAIylwkPdqyzqEANPMXTPnbaVpKbOStFGywsQ70nHxnsT4OZzTWl3F6Y1G-xGhzqi2kgdvIxd8jUwXZVGcq267W1G4oByXMirORoTnRZsK3cX_upSSc/s1600/Sendoff2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 474px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoyTPhWSLCj24fNk22YtQDxJymAIylwkPdqyzqEANPMXTPnbaVpKbOStFGywsQ70nHxnsT4OZzTWl3F6Y1G-xGhzqi2kgdvIxd8jUwXZVGcq267W1G4oByXMirORoTnRZsK3cX_upSSc/s400/Sendoff2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706915181949580018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">At Poona Railway Station</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-53228533159339699352011-06-16T04:28:00.013+05:302012-02-09T05:47:46.931+05:30Shooting of "VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE"<div style="text-align: justify;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">After our classes were over at the Institute my self and Kasturi R Murthy traveled by train to Madras to take up our first feature film assignment. Since Murthy had some relatives at Madras, he preferred staying with them. I joined John and Azad at their office at 49, Wallajah Road and was accommodated there for the time being. We did not have a separate room for ourselves and spent the day amongst the office staff and at night, we all slept in the settee and carpet in Producer Minnal's air conditioned cabin. In the hot and humid climate of Madras the air-conditioning was really a luxury. There was a nearby "Nair's Mess" at Triplicane which provided tasty Kerala type meals at very low prices. It was a small place and was always crowded and you have to wait for some time to manage a seat. The food and accommodation was quite comfortable.<br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><br />As I was a novice in the Madras film Industry I had to learn m</span><span lang="EN-IN">any things about the procedures and working methods there. At the Institute you had all the equipments at your disposal and all you have to do is to write the list in the register and take them for the shooting. But here the equipments had to be hired from rental companies. Since Azad had worked in a few P.N.Menon films, he took me to Sujatha Movietone Unit, whom he said charge reasonably and had good workers. The camera we wanted was Arri IIC with option to use blimp as John wanted to use location sound recording. But the compact and portable Nagra recorder was not available at Madras as it was not considered a "Professional" equipment by</span><span lang="EN-IN"> the sound recordists there. Because of its small size and 1/4 inch tape they thought that it will create sync problems in lengthy shots. P.Devadas an alumni of the Institute </span><span lang="EN-IN">who was at that time was with Chitralekha Film Co-operative Studio founded by Adoor Gopalakrishnan was contacted and he joined us with his Nagra equipment to do the sound recording.<br /><br />We had planned to do our shooting in real houses <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>instead of the usual practice of using studio sets using the household power supply.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But to match the indoor light with the bright sunny out door light required the use of more powerful lights, such as 5KW or 10 KW. We could not use them as they would consume more power and the house connection will not</span><span lang="EN-IN"> take up such heavy electrical load. Generators were rare and very expensive too; hence locations with 3 phase power supply were only selected if additional lighting is required. Apart from the usual Junior and Baby lights I asked for Colortron (USA) lights which I have used at the Institute and are known to give much brighter light out put. To my surprise I was given a Bombay made light which had a sealed beam spot light whose intensity can be varied step by st</span><span lang="EN-IN">ep using a transformer and they called it "Colortran" light! Since it always produced a hot spot I asked for a few </span><span lang="EN-IN">white boards to be made for bouncing the lights.<br /><br /><b>First Day of the Shooting</b><br /><br />Having been brought up in Tamil Nadu, I haven't seen many Malayalam films. I have seen a few of them while we went to Kerala on summer holidays to my parent's place. I had seen Ramu Kariat's CHEMMEEN <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>at Madras and P.N.Menon's KUTIYEDATHI ( Starring Jayabharathi ) and<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>few other Malayalam films at the Institute. In fact I have never even witnessed the shooting of a Malayalam film either before I ventured into the film industry as Cameraman.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUyiEeVrHT8vknnHFQ402GVEGk6wF4PPUv1fWD9deC4dG_WXqcKyz9glQH-fIwtLrO2ZxS3pDczSfCZLzH4CSOE9bMAiRbTPnqX1UhoS-tULeGM2uynIINPd2xCTwXqHkvwh3Rvsnsao/s1600/Orwo_2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUyiEeVrHT8vknnHFQ402GVEGk6wF4PPUv1fWD9deC4dG_WXqcKyz9glQH-fIwtLrO2ZxS3pDczSfCZLzH4CSOE9bMAiRbTPnqX1UhoS-tULeGM2uynIINPd2xCTwXqHkvwh3Rvsnsao/s400/Orwo_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634553021137972882" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">We were using ORWO Black and white negative film as Kodak film was much expensive and also hard to get and required and import licence. Since ORWO film was manufactured in Communist East Germany and was imported against Rupee payment it was freely available and cheaper than Kodak film. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ORWO negative was available in two speeds, ORWO NP55 which was 64 ASA and ORWO NP27 which was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>400 ASA but rated as 320 ASA</span><span lang="EN-IN">.I use</span><span lang="EN-IN">d the faster NP 27 stock for indoor filming and the slower NP 55 for the out doors. Since we had white walls all around I did the lighting by bouncing a few units on the ceiling, the walls and on the white boards to get a soft day light effect.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">I started the first day of my cinematographic career by taking a close up shot of Malayalam Actress Jayabharathi at a small house in CIT colony in T.Nagar. The scene we had to shoot was her interaction in the role of a school teacher with a few children, who were playing their role of her students. After the day’s shooting was over Jayabharathi called the Producer aside and expressed doubts whether some image will be recorded on the film as this novice cameraman had not put any light on my face. Instead he had focused th</span><span lang="EN-IN">e lights everywhere on the walls, ceiling, boards etc except my face. Having been used to the hot direct spot lights hitting her face in studio floors, it was but natural for her to think like that. Also I was very young (hardly 23 years old) thin and still not</span><span lang="EN-IN"> out of the Institute and an inexperienced hand. Having heard this doubtful remark from the Leading lady the Producer also</span><span lang="EN-IN"> started worrying about the results.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">The next day I got a call from the Vijaya- Vauhini Laboratories </span><span lang="EN-IN">asking me to meet the Laboratory Chief Mr. Sen Gupta.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The reason was they were getting only blank film when they processed the test negative. In those days a<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>5 ft Test shot close up of a<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>face is taken either in the beginning or at the end of the roll which will be processed first<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and after checking the density the duration of the processing is adjusted accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Under exposed negatives will be brought up to required density by processing for more duration and over exposed ones for lesser time<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>to obtain a uniform density final negative.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Usually the density of the negative image is visually checked by experienced personnel and may vary from person</span><span lang="EN-IN"> to person. Also there will be a variation of the skin tone of the actor in t</span><span lang="EN-IN">he close up. In order to overcome this I took a Test shot of 18% grey card (considered to be equivalent average skin tone) and asked them to develop it and measure the density in the Densitometer <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and keep it as standard for the processing. It was the grey card that they found instead of the close up and that created the confusion.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">The Laboratory Chief Mr. Sen Gupta agreed to my conten</span><span lang="EN-IN">tion<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>but requested me to have the face close up as test since the Lab technicians over the years are used to that practice. Finally when the rushes were printed and projected in the Lab theatre all anxieties vanished and the producer <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and the Director were fully satisfied with the results.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Madhu who had by then been well known all over India for his role in CHEMMEEN was the leading actor in our film. On his first day in our set, unfamiliar with the formalities existing in Malayalam film industry I addressed him as "Mr.Madhu". He turned and gave a piercing look at me, a thin young man of only 23 years for calling a top hero like him in this manner. I noticed it and continued " Please come and stand in position for the lighting". He understood the nature of the Institute bred people as he himself was the product of National School of Drama and willingly came and stood in his mark for me to adjust the lighting. Later on I </span><span lang="EN-IN">found everybody else on the sets were addressing him as "Madhu Sir" and I too followed it!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qaYS0GBBSrY/TjH5mW8DJAI/AAAAAAAAA7E/uEbuNdHEO5E/s1600/vidyarthikale.jpg"><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"><span lang="EN-IN"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26IK08QTY4Cvha-E2j386eNYua-ZDiPWonDAwqRHCkwXInBBoinuu5jQrIgyvfDs33KtSAYUUt1VWvhmqhWURGTivQsUOWZQi_lQ7qjNMaiKHNmXynTDQfSF0ZT9AqFt5zmVACL7hlG8/s1600/vidyarthikale.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26IK08QTY4Cvha-E2j386eNYua-ZDiPWonDAwqRHCkwXInBBoinuu5jQrIgyvfDs33KtSAYUUt1VWvhmqhWURGTivQsUOWZQi_lQ7qjNMaiKHNmXynTDQfSF0ZT9AqFt5zmVACL7hlG8/s400/vidyarthikale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634563380351847538" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A still from the film</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">We continued our shooting in that house location and also in the streets of Madras for a few days. We shifted to a flat at Mahalingapuram which functioned as our production office as well as our residence and guest house. In the meantime the dates of our Viva Voce examination at Poona were intimated to us. So, during a break in the schedule myself and Murthy left for Poona.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-45484299414066824532011-06-03T15:45:00.016+05:302011-06-03T17:59:01.907+05:30John Abraham plans his first Feature film<div style="text-align: justify;">When the strike at the Institute got extended for a long time, our parents were instructed by the authorities to take us back home, to cool our tempers. While at home I was informed that John Abraham is planning to direct a Malayalam film based on a script by M. Azad and both of them were at Madras. So I went there and met them. They had in mind to have S. Ramachandra as the Cinematographer for the film as he was a close friend and room mate of Azad. They have offered me an opportunity to work as an assistant cameraman in that film. Since I have still not completed the course and was looking for an opening to enter the film industry, I readily agreed to their proposal so that I can get familiar with the working methods in Malayalam films.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYwhMAXh2Jt-B0MJJRHPGvtUP4IeAeyeSdjg-k5OKf7k-omJ0UdGKXkqe8-fsZREynD3ye-_fjOvf_O24tPQImyZKLrdy5zFaF5LAO5XInMtoNXG5OUG4J8b76NcELepLOv_1EftComY/s1600/john_azad_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYwhMAXh2Jt-B0MJJRHPGvtUP4IeAeyeSdjg-k5OKf7k-omJ0UdGKXkqe8-fsZREynD3ye-_fjOvf_O24tPQImyZKLrdy5zFaF5LAO5XInMtoNXG5OUG4J8b76NcELepLOv_1EftComY/s400/john_azad_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613945050683169186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Azad and John in serious discussion</span> </div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17JgB5v33gwbR-_j_kkAFWEwjCE3lRl6CfL-fcuGUCbLakY4NmcgAx1Hn2AhKAoj1W7t9ufNmsBAbaGoTdNh8TMxJhbOYi4kJF2xAC6DHw_Jk0Rz5u0JPGHPyGIX2QegyilEiU27la7I/s1600/john_azad_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17JgB5v33gwbR-_j_kkAFWEwjCE3lRl6CfL-fcuGUCbLakY4NmcgAx1Hn2AhKAoj1W7t9ufNmsBAbaGoTdNh8TMxJhbOYi4kJF2xAC6DHw_Jk0Rz5u0JPGHPyGIX2QegyilEiU27la7I/s400/john_azad_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613945056364954450" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">In a jovial mood</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The producer was Mr. Minnal, who was running an AD Agency called Mars Advertising Company located at 49, Wallajah Road, Triplicane. The Malayalam film titled "VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE" was to be produced under the banner Mehboob Movies. At that time both John and Azad were staying there in the office itself and were working on the script as the dates of the shooting schedule have not yet been fixed.<br /><br />After my return to the Institute the strike prolonged for some more time and finally ended as the Government had agreed to constitute an enquiry commission. Our courses were nearing completion and I was wondering about the future, whether to try my luck in the Bombay film industry or in the Madras film field. In those days Film Institute graduates had a tough time finding work as they were thought to have only bookish knowledge and no practical experience. They had to struggle for some years assisting the veterans in the industry before they get a break. Though I was offered a job at the Hindustan Thompson AD agency, I declined because the work involved was only making sample films in 16mm for clients to view and I was more interested in doing feature films.<br /><br />I was thinking of going down south at Madras which was a much familiar city to me as I had done my graduation from Loyola College there. Also there was no language problem too as I had my schooling in Tamil medium. Then I received a letter from John and Azad saying that they have decided to give me a break in the film as the principal cinematographer! It came as a great surprise as I was offered this film directly without working as an assistant to anybody at any capacity in the film industry and that too before the completion of my final examinations. I was really lucky indeed to have got such an easy entry in films ! I asked my old room mate and batch mate Kasturi Ramachandra Murthy, who was also keen on going to Madras to work as my assistant in the film and he readily agreed to my proposal and joined me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqSy-xyjab9v8L-Yc_yVLnOmfwiZV32Q-_sNYdg33_5Op1bQ2D4o0dPm69E4kUgYvbn_0XR4fru8Bs6qZdauKFwBUGxwgiqXO3CnkgMRcZWIIO06Z5V6x6Yt1Bh0W5SunUMx7G1lMBaM/s1600/John_letter_1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 404px; height: 487px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqSy-xyjab9v8L-Yc_yVLnOmfwiZV32Q-_sNYdg33_5Op1bQ2D4o0dPm69E4kUgYvbn_0XR4fru8Bs6qZdauKFwBUGxwgiqXO3CnkgMRcZWIIO06Z5V6x6Yt1Bh0W5SunUMx7G1lMBaM/s400/John_letter_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613954584683745538" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Letter from John<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUEL8fXKHe0ybv1N4KOpdm-Oe6JRvGnnNRLHB6s9cui_GzO9REyf95hkoHdXwpL3JxgQP049fi1g4Jta0EenRhIG2Yvd2Xnz-iaYqRgGYvCjNfa8Wou8lRN-RIViNbWw8fBi51XQihhI/s1600/John_letter_2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 379px; height: 467px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUEL8fXKHe0ybv1N4KOpdm-Oe6JRvGnnNRLHB6s9cui_GzO9REyf95hkoHdXwpL3JxgQP049fi1g4Jta0EenRhIG2Yvd2Xnz-iaYqRgGYvCjNfa8Wou8lRN-RIViNbWw8fBi51XQihhI/s400/John_letter_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613954593426216338" border="0" /></a><br /></div>After a few days I received the official letter from the producer confirming that the shooting is scheduled from 5 th June 1971 on wards and I was expected to be in Madras on the 1st of June to attend the pre-production work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Dio-oy5h7sMSF613z1yDBRWWnDlziGMIJ9OLNg0cl3YXgfJTiLMQ-OhyYrnUBMN4aL-yRHfIXt5IcPRfV_41ZXzYz08u_dErYfjkn87U2qfXubtipPqGD8mbMf98JMmdGvHPjsYDaGY/s1600/First_job.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 445px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Dio-oy5h7sMSF613z1yDBRWWnDlziGMIJ9OLNg0cl3YXgfJTiLMQ-OhyYrnUBMN4aL-yRHfIXt5IcPRfV_41ZXzYz08u_dErYfjkn87U2qfXubtipPqGD8mbMf98JMmdGvHPjsYDaGY/s400/First_job.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613964008190129698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Producer's Letter</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My Practical Examinations and Viva Voce were not over when I started my career as a Cinematographer in the film industry. After shooting the first schedule of the film, myself and Murthy returned to Poona finish our exams!<br /></div></div></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-37120379979453298422011-01-31T05:18:00.011+05:302017-07-26T09:47:38.565+05:30HUNG UP ON THE WISDOM TREE<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> 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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">At the Film Institute of India ( before Television courses were started), from 1970 onwards we had a “Thought for Today” Notice Board near the canteen where the students were free to put up any interesting matter for the benefit of the student community. It was also a forum for the free expression of student opinion. IBy that time Navin Nischal, Shatrughan Sinha, and Jaya Bhaduri had started making their debut in the closely guarded Bombay Film Industry and were emerging as the future stars. This made the Acting students at the Institute to behave with their heads in the clouds as if they have already become Superstars. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">It was seen in their arrogance and attitude towards their fellow students. An exception was their</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"> friendliness towards Motion Picture Photography students, for they badly needed our help in getting themselves beautifully photographed for their portfolios! Their arrogance towards other students c</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">aused a lot friction and loss of good will between the Direction and Acting students. As a result of that many of the Direction students started excluding Acting students from their Final year Diploma films by casting outside artistes in their place. When the Institute authorities insisted that the casting should be done only from among the Acting students, the Direction students cleverly overcame that by selecting the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">subjects in such a manner, so that a child or a very old woman / man or a tight rope walking street acrobat ( as in my Diploma film - JEEVAN) etc has become the main character. Such roles certainly cannot </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">be played by the acting students and they lost out their chances in the Diploma films. As a result four of the acting students - Raza Murad, Deepak Dhar, Sushil Bhatnagar and Imtiaz Ahmed Khan Pathan did not get to act in any of the Diploma films! Hence four additional Diploma films exclusively </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">for them were sanctioned to accommodate them. But instead of entrusting the Direction department teaching staff to direct those films, all the four films were assigned to the Professor of Acting - Prof. Raushan Taneja.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">This odd decision by the Principal Shri. Jagat Murari infuriated most of the students including me, for, some months earlier Prof. Taneja was assigned to do an one hour feature film with disastrous results. The film was planned as part of the programme to showcase the Acting talents of the Film Institute students for the sake of the Bombay film industry. It was an one hour featurette to be shot during the Christmas vacations. The story, screenplay was also handled by the Acting Professor. A lot of precious raw stock was wasted during a ten day shooting schedule in Madh island and there were reports of some of the acting girls missing from location who were later traced to the flats of their seniors cum successful stars in the Bombay film world. At that time I had put up a poster depicting </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Prof. Taneja shooting in Madh Island and a ship unloading film rolls into the sea. It created some commotion among the acting students but they didn’t know that I was the person behind it.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Now again assigning Four of the Diploma films to Acting Department and to the very same Prof. Taneja infuriated many people. While the discussions were going on, I did a cartoon depicting Prof. Taneja shooting the four diploma films with the four actors and with 4 cameras simultaneously and it was titled “BEWARE - WILD SHOOTER IN TOWN - SHOOTS ANY THING AND EVERY AT SIGHT!" This cartoon I did on my own, but once again left it unsigned and at midnight when no one was around I pasted it on the notice Board.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqlP2TbHG_oStMUgrTzDxS6SPqOBPczzAhSzXlYNPCYuX8YNunMFLj9jVRBJubxh07iM8Es1nSSR9v2WggaLEfSGNgkkUCGzBM78tTVKaR3RrvvveJkG6JeVNmdBI-tzGDmNEqP9iGpE/s1600/Poster.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569811334455859346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqlP2TbHG_oStMUgrTzDxS6SPqOBPczzAhSzXlYNPCYuX8YNunMFLj9jVRBJubxh07iM8Es1nSSR9v2WggaLEfSGNgkkUCGzBM78tTVKaR3RrvvveJkG6JeVNmdBI-tzGDmNEqP9iGpE/s400/Poster.gif" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 303px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 444px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Poster that caused the strike</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Next morning there was a big crowd in front of the notice board. Some acting boys tried to tear it off but were prevented by some others who had collected there to see it. There were lot speculations about who were behind this sacrilege as the Acting students had given the demi-God status to their Professor. Was it not he who created super stars out of sheer clay - the rank new comers who were taught the art of acting! When the sun went down, in their drunken stupor some of them shouted the choicest abuses and created a bi</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">g commotion in the Men’s hostel.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fPRwMuwuJU4JHGwpqkS5l0iiCZZx4Q4wn1r59vlkcXGiSDRu0yyel-ZelyKyIHYXCOuegBzAPI7sew-A_w_CmQIKcU25HyUVB72jp-ZjOVonzagDLBD5MAJz8FyfsQWYNGgU5P5irQs/s1600/warning.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569816190267291122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fPRwMuwuJU4JHGwpqkS5l0iiCZZx4Q4wn1r59vlkcXGiSDRu0yyel-ZelyKyIHYXCOuegBzAPI7sew-A_w_CmQIKcU25HyUVB72jp-ZjOVonzagDLBD5MAJz8FyfsQWYNGgU5P5irQs/s400/warning.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Warning for those who dared to tear it!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">A complaint was made to the Principal Shri Jagat Murari regarding this by the Student’s Union and in the evening a General Body meeting of all the students was called. A few minutes before the commencement of the meeting I was sitting in the canteen thinking how to deal with the situation. Certainly the Principal will be asking, who had put up the controversial poster. I thought that I will need some moral support from my fellow students. So I told a few of my friends that, it was I who had put up the poster and when the Principal asks for the hand behind it I will be getting up and they should support me.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Assured of their support I went inside to attend the meeting. After the usual introduction, the Principal took a pad and pen to note down the names and asked – “I want to know who had put up this Poster?” Slowly I got up and behind me others got up from different parts of the auditorium. The Principal stood agape frozen with a shocked expression. I turned back and what a scene! Except the Acting students all the other students including Foreign students stood in solidarity with me. I never expected that I will be getting such a massive support. It was just a spontaneous reaction of the suppressed anger of the student community over allotment of the films to the Acting Department.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Recovering from his shock, the Principal asked the students to be seated and then said, “I want to know, the talent behind this cartoon”. This time I stood up alone. Then there was mayhem by the acting students. At the top of their voice they shouted all sorts of things. To control the situation, I wanted to say a few words and I took the center stage. It was for the first time in my life that I was making a speech. I told the students “I know Prof. Taneja for the past three years. Many times I have worked with him in the Acting Practical as well as song picturisation classes. And he also knows me very well too. You are all saying that I have insulted Prof. Taneja. I want to ask Prof. Taneja one thing - Whether I have insulted him in my cartoon?” My strategy was if you ask such a question directly to the person concerned, he will definitely say that he was not offended. That was exactly the reaction I wanted from Prof. Taneja. He got up and told the students that he was in no way offended by it and saw it only as a humorous comment.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Hanging on to that point, I told the acting students that if Prof. Taneja is not offended, then why they are making such a hue and cry and concluded my speech. There was utter chaos and some one shouted that Prof. Gopal of Cinematography Department laughed at the cartoon. Then Prof.Gopal got up and replied that it was true that he had laughed. It was just a funny cartoon and so he had laughed and there was nothing wrong in laughing at it! Still they were not pacified and raised hell (in which department they excelled!).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Finally after much shouting by the Acting Students and some counter shouting by others, the Principal gave a big sermon on peaceful coexistence and ended the meeting by reciting the Shanti Mantra - Om Shanti, Shanti. Since no was action was taken on the erring acting students, it encouraged them more and that night the atrocities were repeated in drunken stupor more forcefully by beating up some of the students. The offending poster was also torn up into pieces.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">This time the Student Union demanded stern action against those culprits. After due enquiry, the Principal Shri. Jagat Murari rusticated two students Deepak Dhar and Raza Murad and suspended Lakhan Pal and Susheel Bhatnagar . Immediately the Acting students went on strike protesting the action in front of the Principal's office. After a few hours the Principal withdrew the action taken against the acting students and their strike was withdrawn. This sudden and partisan decision by the Principal without punishing the culprits culminated into a longer strike which escalated to change the history of Film Institute for ever.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">The strike went on for months. The students came out from the hostel rooms and stayed in the open, putting up their beddings on either side of the road near the Main gate of the Institute. For the junior students who were missing their education, classes were conducted by the seniors. All negotiations with the authorities were recorded on tape and photographs taken and press releases were sent on a regular basis. Some of the local papers wanted to publish my cartoon, but the original was torn away by acting students. But, I went to the office of a Marathi tabloid and redrew the cartoon for their publication. I was also given the charge of the publicity department of the striking students, to paint the walls with slogans and cartoons – materials courtesy of the Institute Art Department! Once while painting a slogan on a wall opposite to the Principal’s office, he noticed it and summoned me to his office through his peon. I sent back the peon by saying that I do not recognize him as the Principal!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold; line-height: 115%;">News in </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Indian Express</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">We also celebrated the Silver jubilee day of the strike which was widely covered by the print media on a daily basis. One of the paper cutting is still with me - the news item published in The Indian Express dated 17 March 1971:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZdOKRk9X0HWiHzYuPK-AmYRr-gh8jckkSUrmNBRNU628G2ikXACUXzWPvXwSi3xBZ7y3JeuJILJBRuWo-KRCIRdwyi9Vn8aakcqb_7K4z9UNBHWhVF5HfDxJRPxNoNKCFumCUNTmB8w/s1600/express_news.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569816194094771602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZdOKRk9X0HWiHzYuPK-AmYRr-gh8jckkSUrmNBRNU628G2ikXACUXzWPvXwSi3xBZ7y3JeuJILJBRuWo-KRCIRdwyi9Vn8aakcqb_7K4z9UNBHWhVF5HfDxJRPxNoNKCFumCUNTmB8w/s400/express_news.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">FTII students “celebrate jubilee”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Express News Service</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">POONA, March 16</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The united students' body of the Film and television Institute of India yesterday observed the "silver jubilee" of their 25 days old strike. They held their classes for the first time in the open and teaching was resumed as senior students took the classes instead of their teachers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">They continued to wear "Mr. Principal quit" badges and kept up their "lie in the open strike with beddings spread in the open.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">That we want to attend the classes and are prepared to be instructed by our fellow senior students is a proof that we are interested in studies and want to appear of the examination and "are not shirkers or bad students" said a student leader.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The campus-canteen walls run riot with slogans and proverbs adopted to suit their present agitation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Some of them read "worn out engines become efficient breaks but we want a dynamic accelerator" or "this is not a struggle for the present, this is a homage to the microscopic good" or puns like “Mr. Principal we feel that you have to be replaced by a man of principle"</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">In spite of all our efforts the Principal remained adamant and stuck to his earlier decision and the students had no other option but to continue the strike. To break the strike, the Principal sent notice to the parents to take their striking wards back to their home immediately. Alarmed by the letter, my father arrived at Poona to take me home as soon as possible. I explained him about the strike and after pacifying went home with him. But when the classes were restarted, the strike also began with renewed strength!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">One day there was a small crowd of acting students making a big noise under the Wisdom Tree. They were holding five large card board effigies – with the names Vinay Shukla, Surendar Chawdhary, K.G.George, Baba Majgavkar and Ramachandra Babu.written on them. They were beating the cut outs with slipper</span>s<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;"> and brooms and were condemning us to be hanged by neck till death. Thus five of our effigies were hanged on the Wisdom Tree. (Though Vinay Shukla, Surendar Chawdhary, K.G.George and Baba Majgavkar were in no way associated with the Cartoon incident, it was presumed by the acting students that they must be the brains behind it). All their attacks were targeted at the five of us, and we were thus given the rare honour of being hanged on the Wisdom Tree!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Well, that was the story of our hangings and to the best of my knowledge no further hangings ever took place under the hallowed Wisdom Tree. The strike went on for some more time and ultimately brought a lot of changes to the curriculum of the various courses at the Institute!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Update 26-July-2017: </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">A recently found photo from <a href="https://surendarchawdhary.wordpress.com/category/film-institute-memoirs/" target="_blank">Surendar Chawdhary's Blog</a>:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 100%; line-height: 115%;">Effigies hung up on the wisdom tree...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssj-p9YYKqZ8XrnZqJSYadUtAvtnu0IWIHM3pQqmNPRuFXTSlVFj_2kqoUiAIITOJynHqUdS-pxfJmMpUh9Jjd7Yl7Ogtv3_5_AjKt3-5n50ERUsF0JrdMBOrA1p-KszMfainYz0tmJo/s1600/FTII+strike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssj-p9YYKqZ8XrnZqJSYadUtAvtnu0IWIHM3pQqmNPRuFXTSlVFj_2kqoUiAIITOJynHqUdS-pxfJmMpUh9Jjd7Yl7Ogtv3_5_AjKt3-5n50ERUsF0JrdMBOrA1p-KszMfainYz0tmJo/s320/FTII+strike.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Vinay Shukla, T.N.Mohan, Nirad Mohapatra and Surendar Chawdhary</b></td></tr>
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Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-89023798251634248842011-01-12T20:23:00.006+05:302011-01-12T20:42:43.384+05:30Bye Dear Ramu…..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9fxirN-HDKlLljgC2xL5UWV47z46vJqxneUOVAAEf8oTEc1s1lM11W9qC-3utDuowHY7ZnUV-9dXhvL3BeRARUAmYdOHQU-hE7sfqS9UMigNXNAW0GRvQB1Y2eWIG8bj50h8f25swVg/s1600/S_Ramachandra.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9fxirN-HDKlLljgC2xL5UWV47z46vJqxneUOVAAEf8oTEc1s1lM11W9qC-3utDuowHY7ZnUV-9dXhvL3BeRARUAmYdOHQU-hE7sfqS9UMigNXNAW0GRvQB1Y2eWIG8bj50h8f25swVg/s400/S_Ramachandra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561314082116329058" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">It is with a painful heart that I write these words on learning that my dear mentor and friend Ramu (Cinematographer S. Ramachandra) had left this world on the 10 th January, 2011. <span style=""> </span>He was one of the first few persons with whom I came in to contact at the Film Institute of India in 1968, when I joined in the Motion picture Photography course. He was then studying in the second year Motion picture Photography course and was the room mate of M. Azad (Screenplay writing Course). Hailing from Kerala, my seniors Azad and Kabeer Raother (Direction) took natural interest in me and was always there to help me to cope with the new environment at the Institute. Being the room mate of Azad and a fellow South Indian, he joined them to become my local guardians at Poona. Ramu, as I used to call him, was a charming personality with attractive eyes and long hair. He was very much attached to his friend and room mate, M. Azad and vice -verse.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">When Azad got his first break as Script writer for John Abraham’s maiden Malayalam film “VIDYARTHIKALE ITHILE ITHILE”(1972) , he had in mind to engage Ramu as its Cinematographer. During the pre-production days they asked me whether I was willing to work as assistant to him in that film and I readily agreed with their offer. But later on finding too many scenes to be shot in the streets with hand held camera they thought Ramu might find it difficult to cope up with his Polio affliction. Ultimately they asked me to be their Cinematographer and I got my first break in the Malayalam film industry. Since John and Azad never had any previous discussion regarding the project with Ramu, he never came to know about it!</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Myself and Ramu used to get in touch with each other through letters – he writes long and interesting letters –which arrive after long intervals. We also used to occasionally meet with each other at some of the International Film Festival venues. I remember one occasion, when he came to International Film Festival of Kerala with the film DWEEPA (1982) along with Director <span style="" lang="EN-GB">Girish</span><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> Kasaravalli</span><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> and the late Actress Producer Soundarya. We had a wonderful time catching up with each other's activities. The last time I met him was at Bangaluru in 2006 when he was felicitated by the Suchitra Film Society for being honoured with Karanataka Government Lifetime Achievement Award. At that time I was attending the Bangalore International Film Festival where </span>my short film “CINEKU” was being screened. Afterwards at the party at the Cricket Stadium we renewed our friendship by filling up missing details regarding our work and news about mutual friends.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Last year while I was working in the Malayalam film “INGANAYUM ORAAL” for the first time with our old mutual friend Director Kabeer Raother, he inquired about Ramu’s whereabouts. From the shooting location I called Ramu at Bangaluru and handed over the phone to Kabeer as a surprise. That was the last time I had talked with him. I never had any hint that he was fighting a deadly enemy like cancer and it came as a big shock to me that he had passed away so suddenly. I felt as if I had lost somebody from my own family, for he was so close to my heart as friend, philosopher and guide.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">I convey my heartfelt grief and condolences to Ramu’s bereaved family members and friends and pray<span style=""> </span>for his soul to Rest In Peace.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-IN">A brief<span style=""> </span>Bio-data :</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">S.</span><span lang="EN-IN"> Ramachandra (</span><span style="">Shivaramaiah</span><span style=""> Ramachandra Aithal</span><span style=""> ) passed out from the Film Institute of India, Poona in 1970. He along with Directors like B.V.Karanth, Girish Karnad, G.V.Iyer and Girish Kasaravalli were the architects of the new wave Kannada cinema movement which took the Kannada film industry to heights during the seventies. S.Ramachandra started off his career as a cinematographer in films with <span style="">SANKALPA </span>directed by Nanjaraja Urs. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">He won the Best cameraman award five times and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the<span style=""> </span>Karnataka State government in 2006. He won National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1977 for Kannada film RISHYA SHRINGA. <span style=""> </span>He had worked as a cinematographer in many films directed by Girish Kasaravalli which brought him much appreciation. He started off working with Girish in his first Swarna Kamal award winning film <span style="">GHATASHRADHDHA</span>. Later he worked in <span style="">MANE, KROURYA</span>, <span style="">NAAYI</span><span style=""> NERALU</span><span style="">, HASEENA</span> and <span style="">GULABI TALKIES</span>. He was<span style=""> </span>one of the pillars of the New Wave cinema movement in the Kannada film industry. His work in the TV series </span><span lang="EN-IN">MALGUDI DAYS (1987) translated in to visuals the writings of the great writer R.K.Laxman<span style=""> </span>and made millions of viewers from all over India to stay glued to their T.V sets<span style=""> </span>feeling as if they were living in the village of Malgudi!</span><span style=""><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Even a few days before his death, he worked in <span style="">BETTADA</span><span style=""> JEEVA</span> directed by well known award winning director P. Sheshadri. This is perhaps his last film as a cinematographer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Filmography;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">This is a partial list of films:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Chomana Dudi (1975)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""></span>Rushya Shringa (1976) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Ghatashraddha (1977)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Akramana (1979)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Malgudi Days(1987) TV series</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Mane (1991)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Deveeri (1999)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Mukhaputa (2009)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> Pallavi,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Grahana,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Kankana,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Rushya Shringa,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Anveshane,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Banker Margayya, </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Santha</span><span lang="EN-IN"> Shishunala Sharief</span><span lang="EN-IN">,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Gandharva Giri,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Hombisilu,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Bettale Seve, </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> Nya</span><span lang="EN-IN"> Geddithu</span><span lang="EN-IN">,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Mudhudidha Tavara Aralithu</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> Mane</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Krourya</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"> Naayi</span><span lang="EN-IN"> Neralu</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Haseena</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style=""> </span>Gulabi Talkies</span></p>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-30363154596618605462010-12-07T04:28:00.008+05:302010-12-07T05:08:12.050+05:30JEEVAN - My Diploma film<div style="text-align: justify;">For his Diploma film “JEEVAN” , my Director Baba Majgavkar had chosen as his subject a family of wandering street performers who live a precariously balanced life. For a morsel of bread, they perform on the tight rope, balanced between life and death. And death does strikes one of the family members, But private grief has no place in public life. The show must go on.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BeJI0Pa2IZ-NscxluPg0WQ1V59obr0WsbJaiuqYVtVsroW1kH46RGWnLrZUesMuXhTEsYKbAgEPYSGx6p5czvGtenm77BQVc9ZO6rjVq9ZQfSpuJN0gJZpjK025688GA5-JyPIc0wDU/s1600/tight_rope.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 329px; height: 510px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BeJI0Pa2IZ-NscxluPg0WQ1V59obr0WsbJaiuqYVtVsroW1kH46RGWnLrZUesMuXhTEsYKbAgEPYSGx6p5czvGtenm77BQVc9ZO6rjVq9ZQfSpuJN0gJZpjK025688GA5-JyPIc0wDU/s400/tight_rope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547708391342220002" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taking a Low angle view</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Since the story was about a family of street acrobats we could not cast any of our acting students for playing the main roles. A family of real acrobats, Gangaram, his wife, daughter, and son played the leading roles. Jagadish Sodhi, Lakhanpal and Jameela Malik completed the supporting cast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8XVkdc6dgwXFnSiiCtYj39-E5vquOIGM7oyyYpk2UpxtoywM3Sg5_I156UJNxRMImh9xfZvfqwaGB7PkB3ANS7mdrX3BoOtr09cU6DDUqfLEpSLDIndqgSou-XpVzSS_DtOfvNoT4zc/s1600/Diploma_unit1971.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8XVkdc6dgwXFnSiiCtYj39-E5vquOIGM7oyyYpk2UpxtoywM3Sg5_I156UJNxRMImh9xfZvfqwaGB7PkB3ANS7mdrX3BoOtr09cU6DDUqfLEpSLDIndqgSou-XpVzSS_DtOfvNoT4zc/s400/Diploma_unit1971.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547708405224365730" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myself, Director Baba Majgavkar, Akki Hame Chander (Sound)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">& M.A.Singh (Editor)</span> </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Our unit also consisted of Akki Hame Chander doing the sound and M.A.Singh, the Editing. I was assisted my Kasruti Murthy and Ram Agarwal on the camera. The outdoor shooting was done in a crowded chawl with local people used as onlookers. Since Baba was a Maharashtrian he could communicate with them in Marathi and easily got things done.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj18m9kAoyZFh58bUjXRCORkiUgzk2MOmZNUBNKOQstMaJYolgDDnrtpOXwRPOo5q7VSg19jqVJaFoJJtn_-MU3qv_3nhF-HVM95IhDslpocFke5UKwvxfbqVB7MjisX8rF7kIOdl0Tvw/s1600/Diploma_shoot01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj18m9kAoyZFh58bUjXRCORkiUgzk2MOmZNUBNKOQstMaJYolgDDnrtpOXwRPOo5q7VSg19jqVJaFoJJtn_-MU3qv_3nhF-HVM95IhDslpocFke5UKwvxfbqVB7MjisX8rF7kIOdl0Tvw/s400/Diploma_shoot01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547708421628966770" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Murthy near camera & Baba (with glasses) sitting on right<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OjrH0HyqvZN1SphPp-SFl1fRZtmIMT5N_G1I4fIxPODa809UqdIXdvagy8dRE3M9UoNbD3kRvEcCAtpBkVdPR_a1c4b8BrbINKAXJ7Hhikk_F5RKazpWxOUB1WF4wUCfvvWPUEefbiw/s1600/crowds.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OjrH0HyqvZN1SphPp-SFl1fRZtmIMT5N_G1I4fIxPODa809UqdIXdvagy8dRE3M9UoNbD3kRvEcCAtpBkVdPR_a1c4b8BrbINKAXJ7Hhikk_F5RKazpWxOUB1WF4wUCfvvWPUEefbiw/s400/crowds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547709909169632994" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crowd of onlookers<br /><br /></span> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLTAB_6KBbI6nx7ytSS4X24UQ9-PyE6huAQxEnVpZEIKHsqZxXqB0A-Ay3qlufhd1f7S9oM2q1l6NP3IbJ0hVN2VAVZ0ofr2yq_Dekz_si-mAUYeCDs-vOr4XtMmM5gYAt60zGGEi-gc/s1600/Atop+old+van.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLTAB_6KBbI6nx7ytSS4X24UQ9-PyE6huAQxEnVpZEIKHsqZxXqB0A-Ay3qlufhd1f7S9oM2q1l6NP3IbJ0hVN2VAVZ0ofr2yq_Dekz_si-mAUYeCDs-vOr4XtMmM5gYAt60zGGEi-gc/s400/Atop+old+van.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547708434244616386" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Standing on top of the old unit van</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The interior of their hut was erected in the studio with thatched grass, bamboo and other materials. Some time earlier, at the Institute I had watched a screening of the Japanese film SUNA NO ONNA ("Woman of the Dunes" -1964) Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara and Written by Kobe Abe. I was very much impressed by the stark B&W contrasty photography by Hiroshi Segawa, especially in the Interiors scenes.<br /><br />I was highly inspired by the film's cinematography that I wanted to emulate that lighting style in my Diploma film. I wanted the day exterior portions seen through the gaps in the thatched hut and windows to burn and wash out completely with no details against the gloomy dark lit interiors. I asked the Art department to paint the background pure white instead of the normally painted Grey colour. I boosted up the maximum lights on the background to make it so bright, as if it was like shooting in scorching sun. My results turned out excellent, but when the marks came out it was disappointing as the external examiners thought it was shot in real interior locations and not as lighting being done in studio interiors!<br /><br />The film "Woman of the Dunes" still haunted me for a long time, that years later, I wrote a poem which was published in "Youth Times" Magazine 17-24 November, 1977 issue, selected by well known Poet Kamala Das.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunset Sand Diggers</span></span><br /><br />Under the undulating dunes<br />Desires lie buried<br />My soul sleeps imprisoned<br />Somewhere in a bottomless pit,<br />To each his own<br />He himself being one.<br /><br />Ours might be billion light-years apart<br />Or just a sand wall away.<br />Above in the gray sky<br />Under the blinding sun<br />Circles a lone vulture.<br />I dig my agony to unearth lost ecstasy.<br />In constant work, do I exist<br />My universe — this pit.<br />Destination unknown,<br />This journey a one-way trip.<br />Perhaps our tunnels may meet in the sunset<br />We may then discover<br />What we have lost<br />Or what we have not yet.<br /><br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-33155753753194661242010-11-18T04:54:00.007+05:302010-11-19T05:30:46.785+05:30Remarkable Friendship<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >This is a story of a remarkable friendship between two persons hailing from opposite ends of the Indian Subcontinent, I from Kerala in South India and Sudhir Choudhary from the Northern most part of India, Jammu. Though Sudhir was my junior b</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >y a year </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >in Motion Picture Photography we became good friends very soon.<span style=""> </span>Whenever he<span style=""> </span>returned<span style=""> </span>from his home<span style=""> </span>in Jammu after holidays, he used to bring a sack full of dry fruits like almonds, pistachios etc and distribute it amongst his friends. Handsome looking and debonair, Sudhir can be usually found in the company of acting students. While in his second year he wanted to buy a 16mm camera, preferably a Bolex reflex for his personal use and found that a few used cameras were available at Delhi.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Being a senior student he sought my advice regarding the choice of camera and wanted me to go with him to Delhi for testing the cameras before buying and to do the selection. Since it was Christmas vacation time I readily agreed. So we left for Bombay by train and were joined there by Romesh Sharma and M.S. Sandhu ( Both from Acting) and Nitin Mukesh (son of legendary playback singer Mukesh). We all flew from Bombay to Delhi by an Indian Airlines flight. That was my first ever air travel and my ticket amount (we were entitled to student concession) was borne by Sudhir himself.<span style=""> </span>On reaching Delhi we stayed at a house belonging to Mukesh</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s family.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Myself and Sudhir went to various dealers and found three or four Bolex cameras both non-reflex and reflex ones. We tested the lenses and checked the camera body and movement for any flaws. Finally we settled on a Reflex model camera in good condition and at a reasonable price. We also purchased a few 100 ft rolls of 16 mm Kodachrome<span style=""> </span>reversal film for testing and for Sudhir</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s personal use.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >From Delhi along with Sandhu, Sudhir and I proceeded to Chandigarh and did a bit of sight seeing of the well planned and designed city for a day. Sandhu took leave and we both left for Shimla, where Sudhir</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s sister was studying at that time and he wanted to meet her. It was the month of December and was quite cold in the evening and we warmed ourselves with some gimlet and nice sizzlers at a bar. To pass time we went to see a John Wayne Western film running in a nearby theatre though we both had seen the film much earlier at Poona. The show started around 5.30 PM and only a handful of persons were in the audience. But the show ended abruptly by 6.45 PM as one or two reels in between were not screened. Since we had seen the film earlier we demanded an explanation from the theatre manager. He admitted that the Projector operator had done a little bit of </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >“</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Editing</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >”</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > so that he can finish the show and go home early as they don</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >t have any night shows in winter. The manager apologized and offered to refund the ticket amount but we didn't take it and being Cinema students we gave a stern warning to him not to chop a creative work according to their whims and fancies in future.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Next day we met Sudhir</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s sister and left for Jammu and reached Sudhir</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="AR-SA" >’</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >s home for a warm welcome. His father had a nice Cinema theatre in Jammu which was an artistically built building with lots of curving ramps. They were also having a logging business in a mountainous forest area from where they supplied wooden sleepers for the Indian railways. Their camp was situated deep in the forest, a few hours drive from Jammu. Sudhir and I planned to go there and try our newly acquired camera to shoot a short documentary on the subject of sleeper making. The ride in the jeep through the mountain roads was a hair rising experience especially if you are seated on the side of the jeep. Beside the wheel you can see only inches of solid ground and then the deep ravine with the river flowing deep in the distance as the <span style=""> </span>jeep is driven at breakneck speed. Of course the drivers are expert persons knowing the winding roads just as the back of their hands but persons new to these places like me are bound to get frightened.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >At last we reached a place where the road ended and then it was a long trek up the hill and through the dense forest. It had also some exciting moments such as walking at the edge of the mountain and crossing deep ravines walking on fallen trees by balancing like a tightrope walker.We reached the camp situated at a picturesque location surrounded by tall trees.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSQUA3fKt1eSG7d_W_zH0A9M4cZ68_MGcGxJp3S3GwgS95HnFCkPMB2g_fgxHO5nR6prH5ZfISfou4R6rKC3D8_jujlLTAMzlNXIZ8IkRSmCmFr1tYo8dPfDc0-Kf3BD_urdxMTbKCTA/s1600/jammu_01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSQUA3fKt1eSG7d_W_zH0A9M4cZ68_MGcGxJp3S3GwgS95HnFCkPMB2g_fgxHO5nR6prH5ZfISfou4R6rKC3D8_jujlLTAMzlNXIZ8IkRSmCmFr1tYo8dPfDc0-Kf3BD_urdxMTbKCTA/s400/jammu_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540665863597444962" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Near the Camp</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">The tents were comfortable to stay with all necessary requirements but the nights were quite cold, which we warmed up with a few drinks around a camp fire and enjoying the nice food prepared by the staff.</p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"> The entire operation of producing the wooden sleepers was done there in the deep forests. First the big trees were felled and then using machines they were sawed in to sleeper sized pieces. The sleepers were transported by a unique method by using the force of water flowing there. A specially built channel winding down the mountain is constructed using wooden sleepers and the water from the river is diverted through it. The cut sleepers are then floated down to their destination easily by the swift moving water.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipw3Q3pqM1QYzlFbQl7pR1zaF_7N3HGv73qxQQ81JwdL9y4-IAS9o0QCGyECZBXvf4mI-znaO270k7fwFaSTNCHMP3gQ8McKmIR-THYfIOeDHi3eS5uRB0GwrEwvYaNFII9l5SqF-9qk/s1600/jammu_03.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipw3Q3pqM1QYzlFbQl7pR1zaF_7N3HGv73qxQQ81JwdL9y4-IAS9o0QCGyECZBXvf4mI-znaO270k7fwFaSTNCHMP3gQ8McKmIR-THYfIOeDHi3eS5uRB0GwrEwvYaNFII9l5SqF-9qk/s400/jammu_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540665848184796146" border="0" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A view of the channel of wood</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Sudhir with his newly acquired Bolex went around and we filmed the entire procedure of making wooden sleepers, right from felling of the trees, cutting it to sleeper size and transporting it down to the plains etc.<br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3jwzoa8-IZXPU9sRmnWzeFX793hdlIB6305TpGzICTTUkYBeOhDhWeeC6RFd9szkWoskz9ckIMq4L8TbvI7q9Xg70ejz8ic4VvYWWsTVeaBsLcW4lZEucZ-8Mw3TLoWUb9h671CsYrg/s1600/jammu_02.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3jwzoa8-IZXPU9sRmnWzeFX793hdlIB6305TpGzICTTUkYBeOhDhWeeC6RFd9szkWoskz9ckIMq4L8TbvI7q9Xg70ejz8ic4VvYWWsTVeaBsLcW4lZEucZ-8Mw3TLoWUb9h671CsYrg/s400/jammu_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540665852892893714" border="0" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sudhir with Bolex</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We spent a few days in those sylvan surroundings exploring the forest and filming the activities. It was time to return back to Jammu. There I enjoyed a few days of great hospitality at his home with fine food mixed with affection. I took leave from their lovely family.The smell of pure Basmati rice still lingers on in my mind. Nowadays you don't get that kind of rice any more!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The return trip was by train and Since Sudhir wanted to stay home for a few more days, his father had asked the manager to book a ticket for me to Bombay. When I arrived at the Pathankot Railway station I was handed a First Air-conditioned class ticket and I was allotted a separate Coupe in the compartment. The manager said there was no vacancy in First class due to holiday season rush and only First A/C was available.It was really a luxury in those days and only very rich people traveled in First A/C class as it was more expensive than even air travel.There were only a handful of passengers and the compartment was practically empty through the journey. I was alone in the coupe till I reached Bombay with occasional intrusion by often pampering liveried waiters seeking orders for food and beverages. To fight the boredom of the two days of traveling alone, I started writing a long interesting letter to my father about my trip. Finally I reached Bombay and then went to Poona.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After passing out from the Institute, once in a while we used to correspond with each other but the link got broken sometime. I lost his address and could not contact him either for a long time. But sometime back I managed to get his phone number from his batch mate Anil Jain from Delhi whom I also got in touch after many years through the net. I phoned up Sudhir and had a long chat after so many years. He is planning to visit Kerala in the near future and I hope to meet him once again to strengthen the bonds of Friendship!<br /></p>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-72039582314282636702010-11-16T20:25:00.002+05:302010-11-16T20:29:46.233+05:30A Short Assignment<div style="text-align: justify;">While still a student, I got an opportunity to work for a day for as Cinematographer for a short documentary film. At that time Ms. Parvathi Nair was working in the National Film Archives after completing her studies earlier at the Film Institute. I think she did the Editing course there. She was directing a short film for the Films Division which was shot by one of my seniors and had almost completed the film. But she needed some more shots to be taken and so requested me to do a day’s shooting for the film.<br /><br />The shooting was to take place at Bombay and some kids were the actors. We went on a Sunday Morning from Poona by the Deccan Queen train finished the shooting and returned by the evening Deccan Queen. The equipment was hired from the Institute and the film was shot using 35 mm Black and White film.<br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-33000773710073935652010-10-30T05:38:00.009+05:302010-11-26T11:27:30.638+05:30Surendar Chawdhary's Rehearsals for his Diploma film<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Surendar Chawdhary was preparing for the shoot of his Diploma film VILAAP and he used to discuss the script with his cinematographer R.S. Agarwal and associates Kasturi R Murthy and myself. His film was about a tree being cut in a forest and humanises the event by showing various incidents that happened under the tree. For the opening shot he wanted a leaf falling from the tree on to the ground. The problem was that he wanted the single leaf in tight closeup and follow the falling leaf's movement using a crane. It was a pretty tough task indeed and required precise operation of the crane as well as the camera. Since he very much needed the dramatic shot for his film, we decided whether it was possible to such a camera operation by conducting a trial during our practical class.<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I did the trial using the Arri Blimp camera mounted on a crane and as Surendar dropped the leaf in front of the camera, the crane was moved according to the trajectory of the leaf's fall. When there was wind it just moved out of frame and we had to wait for the windless period.<br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxrGImxID2nGhdNHpQ-DwOvqZmMrf8azWoSqgQ6b8H82hWK9IXuD-Q1qxHEaJg3JfOG8mGnK-Zvj1tuE_UfaIy3kjanEGE1i4i1Ld5JMrCD_lPbLLrD8xCe0xmcQ7UnN_j5hr2GdOM-U/s1600/surendra2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533630625218038450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxrGImxID2nGhdNHpQ-DwOvqZmMrf8azWoSqgQ6b8H82hWK9IXuD-Q1qxHEaJg3JfOG8mGnK-Zvj1tuE_UfaIy3kjanEGE1i4i1Ld5JMrCD_lPbLLrD8xCe0xmcQ7UnN_j5hr2GdOM-U/s400/surendra2.jpg" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Myself on the camera with Surendar</span><br /></div><br />After several trials we were able to synchronize the fall of the leaf with the camera and crane movements so that the leaf was always in the frame till the very end. Thus Surendar was assured that the shot he wanted so badly for his Diploma film could indeed be taken .<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_Sso9npa9pNfNifOqN9bkABtX9vm3XBBV-C4vpaCuaU24WlQ7u-bqdL-lSkpVkYNRJM1qKBN1HIRX7nVbpnrKrL8mUlDVAv13Zb37un1BarEaEGSj9e__O3wpypY4-d8B5yrhf71cvg/s1600/surendra1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533630630078897234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_Sso9npa9pNfNifOqN9bkABtX9vm3XBBV-C4vpaCuaU24WlQ7u-bqdL-lSkpVkYNRJM1qKBN1HIRX7nVbpnrKrL8mUlDVAv13Zb37un1BarEaEGSj9e__O3wpypY4-d8B5yrhf71cvg/s400/surendra1.jpg" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The shot set up</span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Later on the actual shot was taken by R.S. Agarwal himself during the Diploma film shooting and was incorporated in the film. Such attention to detail and meticulous planning by Surendar paid rich dividends later 0n. Eventually his film won the Grand Prix of Winged-Ibex statue in the short film category at the First Tehran International Film Festival 1972 and several other honours.<br /></div></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-86176912103881450562010-10-29T04:12:00.011+05:302010-10-30T05:22:25.282+05:30AZAD and the BHANG Story<div style="text-align: justify;">Azad had come back again to the Institute for the Convocation and he was staying as a guest in my room. He used to smoke beedi and some times smoked ganja also which was available at very cheap rates. Since I do not smoke he purchased some Bhang from a shop, for the first time and told me that this will take me high. Bhang is a preparation made from the leaves and flowers (buds) of the cannabis plant consumed with sweets or mixed with almonds,spices, milk and sugar as Thandai during the Holi festival season. It was also sold as green Halwa and sweets are said to enhance the kick of Bhang. These are not considered a drug, but a traditional sleeping aid and appetizer. Sadhus and Sufis use Bhang to boost meditation and to achieve transcendental states.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FI8fxKkwPbylCS4OIbp5AXZDqpsFUaCuTd8a6rbLem_N22shJOo9PP9fd7drL_uHk4XkDS5I9BwxpOre5NYYuHIFQytVyjFOxNPnyB7YDODZ5dHdAc92bBL5iz7YwfUI76YeX8qZWH8/s1600/Bhangshop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FI8fxKkwPbylCS4OIbp5AXZDqpsFUaCuTd8a6rbLem_N22shJOo9PP9fd7drL_uHk4XkDS5I9BwxpOre5NYYuHIFQytVyjFOxNPnyB7YDODZ5dHdAc92bBL5iz7YwfUI76YeX8qZWH8/s400/Bhangshop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533240025749526706" border="0" /></a><br />He had brought four Goli’s ( balls) of Bhang. Since I have never taken it before, I asked my friend Sahu on the modus operandi of taking Bhang. I gave one goli to him but I took only half a goli mixed with milk and sugar since I was cautious about this unknown substance. Afterwards we both went to Law College mess and had our Sunday lunch with sweets. While taking food I jokingly told Sahu that the Bhang had no effect on me.<br /><br />But while we were walking back along the Law College road, I felt some changes taking place. The road seemed endless and I felt I had been walking for hours and still not reaching our hostel. After a while I found that I am watching myself on a screen in Mid Shot walking and walking with the background passing just like a back projection process shot. Somehow, I reached my hostel room and lied down on my bed. The room seemed to twist and take a distorted strange shape. I felt as if my body was made of plastic, then iron, ice and of different materials. Slowly I sank into deep sleep. Some hours later I woke up and I found myself normal as the psychedelic effect of Bhang had worn off.<br /><br />Late in the evening Azad came to my room along with another friend Verghese who was working at the Film Archives. I explained to them the effect Bhang had on me. Azad laughed it off saying that it was because, I was a non-smoker of Ganja, Bhang had more effect on me. He and Verghese each consumed on goli (ball) of Bhang mixed with milk. After an hour of chit chat Azad again took the remaining half a goli too saying that this Bhang had no kick at all for a veteran Ganja smoker like him and felt it as a waste of money. If he had purchased Ganja instead of the Bhang, by that time he would have been floating on the clouds.<br /><br />At that time a Hindi feature film shooting had been going on in our campus starring Asha Parekh and others from Bombay. We all went to watch the shooting taking place at the exterior of our sound studio. The lighting was being done on the exterior staircase of the studio. When it was over, the star of the day, Asha Parekh came and stood there in position for the final lighting corrections. Azad whispered in my ears that how many Asha Parekhs are there? I said, only one. But he said he was seeing multiple figure of her standing at each and every step! When he asked Verghese, he also confirmed that he too was seeing multiple figures. Both felt that something was happening to them and wanted to get back to the hostel room. As I was interested in watching the shooting going on, I gave them my room key and asked them to take rest and I will join them soon.<br /><br />After some time, Sahu came rushing to me saying that something had happened to these two fellows as they were at the hostel calling police, police etc. Immediately I went there and on seeing me both of the rushed towards me and pleaded please help us, please. It was this "please" which was misunderstood as "Police" by the students who gathered at the commotion! I told the onlookers that there was no problem and it was the effect of Bhang. I took both of them in to my room and asked them what had happened.<br /><br />Azad explained to me that as soon as he reached my room and tried to open the lock he found the black iron lock shine like a diamond. When they entered the room the walls stood at odd angles and the room took a distorted shape. They both started singing songs to get away from the weird feeling. Azad went near the window and looked down and saw an Ambassador car on the road. Spontaneously he composed a Malayalam poem about the Ambassador car and started reciting it and they were having a nice time. Suddenly he was gripped with an unknown fear that he was going to die soon. He wanted to see his mother who lived in Kerala at least once before he died. Hearing that Verghese was also haunted by similar feelings of death and they both started crying holding on to each other. Then they came down from the hostel room and pleaded for help at passing students saying "Please. help, please!".<br /><br />I pacified them saying that there was nothing to worry as it was all the effect of Bhang. But they could not be convinced and started to weep saying that there was something poisonous in the Bhang and they were sure to die. Before they die they wanted to see their mothers for the last time. However much I tried to convince them, they could not be convinced that it was just a passing feeling only due to the Bhang. Then I suggested that we will go and consult the Institute Doctor who lived near our campus. Holding my hands tightly from either side both of them accompanied me towards the doctor's residence. By the time we reached the Institute gate Azad asked me anxiously that how far still is the doctor's place since it had been hours since they have started walking. I could understand their feelings very well as I myself had similar experience in the afternoon while returning from the law college mess!<br /><br />Finally we reached the doctor's residence and I explained to the doctor in detail about what had happened, while they both were waiting outside the consulting room. The doctor replied " Nothing can be done now. Let them take rest and sleep. In the morning it will be all over" On hearing the words " Nothing can be done" they thought even the doctor had considered them as a hopeless case and they were sure to die. Instantly they fell flat at the foot of the doctor and cried in Malayalam, "Yejamaane Rakshikkane" ( meaning "O Master Save us" ). Dr. Deshpande who was a Maharashtrian could not understand what they were telling. I whispered to the doctor to give them some placebo so that they will psychologically feel better. He gave them some vitamin tablets and warned them never to take such substances in future. They promised to him on oath that they will never ever have Bhang in their lifetime. I trust they kept up their promise and I too never had it afterward!<br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-61780384461525800792010-10-25T04:56:00.011+05:302010-10-26T19:29:35.369+05:30THOUGHT FOR TODAY<div style="text-align: justify;">To promote students' awareness of things happening around the world and also creatively express themselves, a "Thought for Today" Notice Board was set up near the entrance to the Film Institute canteen. Students were free to post newspaper or magazine clippings, art work, posters etc of general interest to the student community.<br /><br />Those were the days of Film Institute graduates getting their share of limelight in the closely guarded Bombay film Industry. They were also featured in the National Awards - Rehana Sultan won the Urvashi Award for the Best Actress in 1970 and K.K. Mahajan for excellence in Black and White photography in 1970 for SARA AKASH. Navin Nischal and Shatrughan Sinha had become recognised Stars! So when a film like UMANG starring many Film Institute graduates came out, it raised much expectations amongst the students. The film was brought to Institute for a screening and we had a disappointing ordeal of viewing it. Next day the reaction was out on the Thought for Today Notice Board - <span style="font-weight: bold;">"UMANG" - Insulting & Infuriating. Doomed is the country if this be its youth! A Film to be banned!!</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz2bPfRCN7GxKqgmHChQIAItG06jgKA6Frg5MwhB4_7gZmBHF-jH9rqeVp9Oq1uNCixfyJ0A9ORhcHKMXtevIcBr4GtqXhfwTwSwCNxfLjqzIkTEbfcpAlxj1qwYyo4gfucoMh6t6aIE/s1600/thought+for+today_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 416px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz2bPfRCN7GxKqgmHChQIAItG06jgKA6Frg5MwhB4_7gZmBHF-jH9rqeVp9Oq1uNCixfyJ0A9ORhcHKMXtevIcBr4GtqXhfwTwSwCNxfLjqzIkTEbfcpAlxj1qwYyo4gfucoMh6t6aIE/s400/thought+for+today_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531759629635879266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">(L to R) Dixit, Raina, (unidentifiable)K.G.George and Surendra Chowdhary</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEfLwiU5stzUQvCj_-kRHry57McG2etZJevIw7BTqzHc2klOPqywm6szzchgVmqDlZrZYGOXmxp0Yu6IM98XUkj5znYCsH1M6RB31-Dhed-9Rmg0ukZrB-awpwByTptrR5qq9aQkRvmU/s1600/thought+for+today_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEfLwiU5stzUQvCj_-kRHry57McG2etZJevIw7BTqzHc2klOPqywm6szzchgVmqDlZrZYGOXmxp0Yu6IM98XUkj5znYCsH1M6RB31-Dhed-9Rmg0ukZrB-awpwByTptrR5qq9aQkRvmU/s400/thought+for+today_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531759633075239618" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">K.G.George is all smiles!<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Obviously the comments were put up by the Direction students and the Acting students didn't like it. They were keen on getting in to the film Industry by any means without caring for aesthetic values. So they were all praise for the Industrywallahs irrespective of their caliber. At the 8 th Convocation butter was liberally applied by these "Chamchas" which was intolerable. I reacted by drawing a cartoon and had put it near the UMANG comments, which you can see in the left bottom side of the board!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmC_AGuK6hjS9Bom4FSlk3qImm18FypIh1Grk6GEoEps_KUxh180jGacgPNGTbgPzWIyttp6PqQtFOyN5cqmsoNC_fzNSyRKYEIClYrnJdU8crWxWu1nYdSngzK5EUg1LmiNEUEyU-pE/s1600/thought+for+today_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 435px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmC_AGuK6hjS9Bom4FSlk3qImm18FypIh1Grk6GEoEps_KUxh180jGacgPNGTbgPzWIyttp6PqQtFOyN5cqmsoNC_fzNSyRKYEIClYrnJdU8crWxWu1nYdSngzK5EUg1LmiNEUEyU-pE/s400/thought+for+today_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531759635179037410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Cartoon </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As it was unsigned , many of the Acting students felt that the cartoon was put up against them by some Direction students who were jealous of Acting students getting all the attention and glamour! They did not know that I was person who authored it !!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-68181199937185060572010-10-13T05:07:00.013+05:302010-10-23T05:58:05.927+05:30MT and P.N.Menon at the InstituteM. Azad who had passed out in Screen play writing earlier had started working as an assistant to the well known Malayalam Film Director P.N.Menon in the film KUTTIYEDATHI. The screen play was by the renowned Malayalam writer M.T.Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as M.T. Having worked with both of them Azad was instrumental in bringing them to the Institute for the first time. M.T.accompanied by Azad was there at the Institute as a Guest faculty for about a week interacting with the students and taking classes in screen play writing. He also used his spare time viewing some of the world classics at the National Film Archives. Azad being a very good friend and well wisher of me took particular interest in introducing me to these towering personalities from Kerala.<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PRPGhe7fweRRqwcnh394Q20ULXc5pw-maQAf3rHNDQcOqFNjytkD-NEHb3Dm5kcDN1AvI_09Ex9LSan4FkNIn_h2Fy2d-8D7i6gRVQ9hIpFOXHshyphenhyphenNauh0IhtM7Fea7zz2YCO2ECoAw/s1600/azad_babu2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PRPGhe7fweRRqwcnh394Q20ULXc5pw-maQAf3rHNDQcOqFNjytkD-NEHb3Dm5kcDN1AvI_09Ex9LSan4FkNIn_h2Fy2d-8D7i6gRVQ9hIpFOXHshyphenhyphenNauh0IhtM7Fea7zz2YCO2ECoAw/s400/azad_babu2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527316537676545986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myself and M.Azad </span><br /></div><br />This meeting with M.T. was to have a great impact on my career later on. When in 1973, M.T.decided to make a film based on his short story "Pallivalum Kaal Chilambum" as NIRMALYAM, he thought of me and asked me to work as cinematographer in his maiden venture as Director. Even though he had known many renowned stalwart cinematographers in the Malayalam film industry who were too happy to work with him, he had chosen me , a comparatively new comer as his cinematographer. Azad who was also the Associate director was instrumental in having all the key technicians from the Film Institute itself - Editor Ravi and Sound Engineer Devadas and a Key role played by actor Ravi Menon. M.T.'s trust in the caliber of Institute Alumni never failed him and it is history that the film NIRMALYAM was chosen for the Golden Lotus as the Nation's Best Film. My association with M.T.continued in more films directed by him - BANDHANAM, VAARIKKUZHI. I became a very close friend to him and his family members and he considers me as a younger brother to him.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBa-1pfIO6-_XNGoxU_baU9BlatrG0k7kN3opXDwVde6r8t5Af3N_ZG4xtbrBe2DINZweeHk8Bznq5seezQf6prdHY7e-aMzkOci6Vzpg3BeEG2asc7VirI22QNc8wG9wdgsbi1z0mb4/s1600/Nirmalyam3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBa-1pfIO6-_XNGoxU_baU9BlatrG0k7kN3opXDwVde6r8t5Af3N_ZG4xtbrBe2DINZweeHk8Bznq5seezQf6prdHY7e-aMzkOci6Vzpg3BeEG2asc7VirI22QNc8wG9wdgsbi1z0mb4/s400/Nirmalyam3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527427453247047314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shooting NIRMALYAM- Devadas sitting with MT ( dark glasses)</span><br /></div><br />Azad's maiden film VILKANUNDU SWAPNANGAL was also scripted by M.T. and naturally I was the cinematographer. A major portion of the film takes place in Dubai and it was the first ever Malayalam film to have the location shooting at the Emirates.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSsLStNqDP5nYggfumQwtCtrrKr0Yc0wobfOGBBmhogMUUldWuDhbvBRC-KyIo2T5Rlrq86yv21i4Sl4rcJaBfYDgzL_tvnUcqkkcC95mDPbslME3Elq36DzbhyOKxpwFM6KZ8qvlgYA/s1600/vilkanundu13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSsLStNqDP5nYggfumQwtCtrrKr0Yc0wobfOGBBmhogMUUldWuDhbvBRC-KyIo2T5Rlrq86yv21i4Sl4rcJaBfYDgzL_tvnUcqkkcC95mDPbslME3Elq36DzbhyOKxpwFM6KZ8qvlgYA/s400/vilkanundu13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527427866477920898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">MT, Sukumaran, Me and Azad during Dubai shooting</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Azad once again came to the Institute, this time with Director P.N.Menon and his film KUTTYEDATHI. The film was well appreciated by the students and everyone liked the raw texture of the film and the rustic personality of P.N.Menon. I was also meeting him for the first time and found him to be receptive to experiments. Already he had Institute Alumni Ravi as his Editor at a time when the film industry in general had an aversion towards Institute graduates on the whole. He also had Madras Institute of Film Technology trained Ashok Kumar as his cinematographer.<br /><br />Later on I did the cinematography for P.N.Menon directed Malayalam film UDAYAM KIZHAKKUTHANNE and for his Tamil film DEVATHAI (along with Ashok Kumar)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbMN9nwM1YJ3YPRK-_4R9-u68uxjdLq7oiRWu8hzrKNClS8tc8Rbg_Sw01rlozEMPEUWwoB7QY9NVDDS12U1f0NR4glJgHn6mvaKt7vsXbpmIIQZBvQC18WtVCG-aYGsQJbx-0hBzRPY/s1600/PN2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbMN9nwM1YJ3YPRK-_4R9-u68uxjdLq7oiRWu8hzrKNClS8tc8Rbg_Sw01rlozEMPEUWwoB7QY9NVDDS12U1f0NR4glJgHn6mvaKt7vsXbpmIIQZBvQC18WtVCG-aYGsQJbx-0hBzRPY/s400/PN2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527428259065540802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">P.N.Menon ( in dark glasses) behind the camera<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Film -UDAYAM KIZHAKKUTHANNE</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mRv5nonYEDNw2KA_3_8JokBEJa6P3CoeWzUxXNW_TFVH5wYUCeojuH1-iJ6oCHUi60UjvGdSdkjPo6ePf6mqs2Jgn4ZnE_nd0UlzQpVCuvKgw3EHBdNrjQqf2pAiwfUzmU208yoRmRM/s1600/PN3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mRv5nonYEDNw2KA_3_8JokBEJa6P3CoeWzUxXNW_TFVH5wYUCeojuH1-iJ6oCHUi60UjvGdSdkjPo6ePf6mqs2Jgn4ZnE_nd0UlzQpVCuvKgw3EHBdNrjQqf2pAiwfUzmU208yoRmRM/s400/PN3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531031186398311474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">With P.N. Menon</span><br /></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-77150353400983961512010-10-11T19:06:00.010+05:302010-10-12T16:29:51.038+05:30Actuality Coverage<div style="text-align: justify;">As part of our Actuality Coverage Project, we cinematography students have to shoot and edit a news coverage short documentary on our own. We were free to select our own subject and were provided with Black & white 16 mm negative film. I was in search of some suitable subject when I was informed by our department that an important surgery was going take place at the Sassoon Hospital, Poona. A team of two British Doctors will be performing a comparatively new surgery - Corneal Transplantation. I was asked to cover the event as part of my actuality coverage project and I was also given two rolls of 16 mm Kodachrome reversal film as well.<br /><br />I had my own doubts whether I will able to stand the sight of blood etc as I have never before stepped inside an Operation theatre in my life! Putting aside my fears I reached the hospital and before being allowed inside the room we were asked to change in to the hospital's sterile garments. Our instructor Mr.Ramanathan was also with us to sort things out with the hospital people. I talked with the doctor regarding the procedures so that I can shoot only the relevant portions without wasting film on unimportant activities. Fortunately for me there were two operations scheduled to take place that day. In case I miss some shots, I can always shoot them during the second surgery.<br /><br />So first I concentrated on covering the surgery in full in close up as I can take the wider shots later. I mounted my Arri 16 BL camera high on a tripod to get a clear view of the eye being operated in tight close up. I took a light meter reading beforehand with the lights on to determine the exposure as it is very critical to have perfect exposure since I was using Reversal film. Once the operation started I was fully concentrated on getting the necessary images as perfectly as possible. My fears went away as there was not much blood shed, may be two or three drops in total. After the first surgery was over I took several cut-away shots and insert shots, long shots etc by mounting the camera on a shoulder pod and moving around without disturbing the doctors and the other personnel.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS41h2dg983lIdmmpE2ZRq38G50B_9CUZzajgZF1v-CIX8YSbTJ7V-Kpy7tkV8QeeHno-shNT_DALYvz8Xgyk7lN3AA7kn0Us0Zzwu7-mNL-zRJRuMvG2HS6Ph0NgYytIkbNpXG1KmL8g/s1600/Operation.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS41h2dg983lIdmmpE2ZRq38G50B_9CUZzajgZF1v-CIX8YSbTJ7V-Kpy7tkV8QeeHno-shNT_DALYvz8Xgyk7lN3AA7kn0Us0Zzwu7-mNL-zRJRuMvG2HS6Ph0NgYytIkbNpXG1KmL8g/s400/Operation.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526937417367922626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">At the surgery - Mr.Ramanathan beside myself on the camera</span><br /></div><br />In those days eye donation was not much in vogue in our country and the donated eyes came from Ceylon where they have many Buddhists who consider it as a noble act. I marveled at the rock steady hands of the surgeons who were doing the operation with the help of small microscopes fitted over their spectacles.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUDZ8lG6860txzop4JmoFfIoxbj5i_Bx9hUTIhIhLow10y7JDFrlYyOUUh6iFABUh4RT1ad8kG4A4pCtG4vc6Awt5IEeIRzlWXGLGVceoEyM2jK1kwcrGHMPTNIAQjQltiANOZd2-24A/s1600/operation_2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUDZ8lG6860txzop4JmoFfIoxbj5i_Bx9hUTIhIhLow10y7JDFrlYyOUUh6iFABUh4RT1ad8kG4A4pCtG4vc6Awt5IEeIRzlWXGLGVceoEyM2jK1kwcrGHMPTNIAQjQltiANOZd2-24A/s400/operation_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527112230795145570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another view</span><br /><br /></div>Finally when the rushes were projected many faint hearted students could not stand the sight on screen of a big close up of the eye and the eyelids being pierced by a needle and blood oozing out. Even I had a similar feeling though I had witnessed the real thing in person!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK7FICuoCFIYnIu7wQg6CD0x9Hx7mjmmEPajCu2MfTUXaTCv2YFiAIqPBoNyzb4WYuNQa75qjiWl0a-5hFvfDuS5W7PogXnL0usF4NK_qUN0sGw3RyJiUm4U-gL2lDQ_pEcr4jQoif34/s1600/Firstbell.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK7FICuoCFIYnIu7wQg6CD0x9Hx7mjmmEPajCu2MfTUXaTCv2YFiAIqPBoNyzb4WYuNQa75qjiWl0a-5hFvfDuS5W7PogXnL0usF4NK_qUN0sGw3RyJiUm4U-gL2lDQ_pEcr4jQoif34/s400/Firstbell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526941643209734386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">With Director P.G.Viswambharan & Actor Jayaram </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> FIRST BELL ( Malayalam Film)</span><br /><br /></div>Though in my later career, I had shot many surgery sequences in Operation theatres for feature films they were only enactments and not the real ones. Hence that day at Sassoon Hospital has a unique place in my mind!<br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-65785966261130641552010-09-17T05:21:00.029+05:302010-10-12T05:07:28.459+05:30Formation of Units & Documentary Shooting<div><br /><div><div><div><div align="justify">We were twelve students in the class and were divided into four unit groups of three persons. When one person does the job of lighting and operating the camera , one of us will do the follow focusing and the other push the trolley or help with lighting etc. Our Unit consisted of myself , Ram Agarwal and Kasturi R Murthy. Also Filming units were formed with one student each from Direction, Photography, Editing & sound departments for making the Documentary and Diploma films.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We were to start our work in our Documentary films and my Director was Baba Majgavkar. Akki Hame Chander as Sound Recordist and M.A.Singh as Editor completed the crew.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 239px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525471918871916354" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWpsZxjFWOGdxx6RDvdW2aCRHwnOKLlQ3vFsG4a6yybh_xfOds8vkLNozeF4xXVMWFvCA0CkdBwTTDNt7d7XhjruwugWQOry5ohztgn9h0xU5f2uUKiWEl2Ysf9_aFE8vkU-9N3bUBr4/s400/Baba.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>With Baba (Right) and Agarwal ( L)<br /><br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENwhzb_W6WN_Jj2nmwDbpQZQ9u4RYMGSKVIeq6Mw__O_EMYq7rQyV87oV-zPioffkE8tg4tEK_EcrJ3dGzQqxTtnNvjBQTgZnDJMNbojBZd7O4UzxT88bBseBWMMQUjM8WK4Mi3c4oFo/s1600/Docu_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 317px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525489966342731810" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENwhzb_W6WN_Jj2nmwDbpQZQ9u4RYMGSKVIeq6Mw__O_EMYq7rQyV87oV-zPioffkE8tg4tEK_EcrJ3dGzQqxTtnNvjBQTgZnDJMNbojBZd7O4UzxT88bBseBWMMQUjM8WK4Mi3c4oFo/s400/Docu_3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Baba looking thro viewfinder, Murthy standing beside Camera<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br />The title of the Documentary was BHAJIWALA and was supposed to be a parable on the misadventures of a vegetable seller in a multilingual community in a humorous manner about our linguistic problems. It was shot on the exteriors of a housing colony and was enacted mostly by the Direction students themselves, K.G.George as the vegetable seller. </div><br /><p align="justify"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 319px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525477792471091170" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUq-McKwo-hnncP7XgxQAMf2f_B9ZhGyZ9tH_aIacd7fqvAikaLoyj4KRVxIN_E3g7m_EbYNLyxUdOfbOjOiDflrnY8xJP8wyQUKrZNFiX0-HazPRK5Ss5HWqGG2w486o9GiBjDitWac/s400/George1.jpg" border="0" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">K.G.George</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The shooting location was in the foot path outside a housing colony of flats and a small crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the proceedings. It gave an opportunity to Assistant Director Raina to bring out the megaphone and wield it to make himself the centre of attraction.<br /></p> <strong></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa2P6-PoPwXK3tv6u1ql0N6JB8hzxhkrAZojWYo-xwN1LrRSHWMPOPgb2HjeSQOUczfMLK481QXh3y8fj7FjjoOSBddnOKZ5c64reAuVm2IVFz-bQ7Y3vmDMGDj9OffzCgxzwKiv_e2w/s1600/Docu_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 270px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525489962915541698" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa2P6-PoPwXK3tv6u1ql0N6JB8hzxhkrAZojWYo-xwN1LrRSHWMPOPgb2HjeSQOUczfMLK481QXh3y8fj7FjjoOSBddnOKZ5c64reAuVm2IVFz-bQ7Y3vmDMGDj9OffzCgxzwKiv_e2w/s400/Docu_2.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raina with the Megaphone</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The shooting was a really a fun experience with all characters speaking in their own language and finally the commotion ends in a big fight amongst themselves. It was not a choreographed one, but a free for all fight! I had to do a lot of hand held shots to film that sequence.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GfOYMZlms4rFTZQfW8a1p9cApsPRrpw68-AgrRnaX4LgZyB18Qh2Ry_1WMkl3HMWiWRwbcRfh3CMisnpkaLsjiwNnFlVtXkejZjzeD4dg9ORgEU2C8bT6fr7i1z8LJKjvOZYHl5Rs7o/s1600/Docu_shooting_.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GfOYMZlms4rFTZQfW8a1p9cApsPRrpw68-AgrRnaX4LgZyB18Qh2Ry_1WMkl3HMWiWRwbcRfh3CMisnpkaLsjiwNnFlVtXkejZjzeD4dg9ORgEU2C8bT6fr7i1z8LJKjvOZYHl5Rs7o/s400/Docu_shooting_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526935435854263618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me with the camera and Baba guiding me from behind</span><br /></div><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 454px; display: block; height: 284px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525479368804807346" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXGAEGkAEblHF-7P8h0LKGMePu1qkgAj5RYg3DMSlZWtFqrsfzWeM7ucV4TayjP70hyphenhyphenMaXAXUlgcWdmxKX1u0KPNHFYLcPSmgDQ-7QOvcq62-nQ-KCdh9vGP2Mdt9UftYl-MMcq3VLKM/s400/Docu_1.jpg" border="0" /></div> <div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">I am standing on the wall with support from Agarwal, Baba<br />looking on & Singh noting down.<br />K.G.George is sitting in the centre<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p align="justify"></p><strong></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-87254710601643915872010-09-12T05:19:00.003+05:302010-10-08T09:40:39.180+05:30Food crisis<div style="text-align: justify;">Being in the Final year, I was allotted a single room for myself at the hostel. But the food at the Hostel Mess was always a problem as the students came from all States of India and foreign countries too! It was an impossible task to cater to the tastes of the inmates who are used to their regional cuisines with limited resources. Last year a Malayali , Mr. Panikkar was the mess contractor and so the menu had Sambhar, rice etc which was quite acceptable to the South Indians. He had also provided North Indian dishes and Roti etc for other students. But this time a new contractor, a Punjabi Sardarji Mr. Chadda took over the mess. The food turned out to be mostly of the North Indian variety and rice was limited to only a cupful and we coming from the South found it difficult to digest this change in cuisine. Since I was in the Mess committee which decides upon the weekly Menu, I reintroduced Sambhar and rice. But unfortunately the experiments by the Punjabi cook to prepare Sambhar turned out to be a disaster in the form Dhal with some added chilly powder. Ultimately we conceded defeat and swallowed our pride and ate the North Indian food provided. Some ingenious students had electric hot plates in their rooms and did their own cooking and managed with pickles and other condiments.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some students found out that nearby Law College Mess was providing reasonably good food with unlimited rice too, and they were allowing students from outside to eat there. Added attraction was the sweets served with Sunday lunch, which you can have as much as you want. So I along with Murthy and Venugopal Thakkar, I joined the Law college mess and our food crisis was happily solved.<br /></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4886084423884614994.post-60344087838756473262010-09-01T20:46:00.011+05:302010-09-11T10:41:27.993+05:30Debu, dear friend, Bye......Yet another personal loss - My dear friend and batch mate from the Institute, Debu Deodhar passed away in to eternity this evening ( 1, September 2010)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WbNFShim2ZAFeF7_iD0OrCehO9trlxZsJFlLE_lpKrss9QSBVG9qh-vtDA3oT-ZJBflpcAldvX_gm4tqDb1DPV2rp9ex7sT-PUsxnqewMW8kv0VH-2KxfYT2GxkI-diAAiVNPTC5OGc/s1600/Debu1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WbNFShim2ZAFeF7_iD0OrCehO9trlxZsJFlLE_lpKrss9QSBVG9qh-vtDA3oT-ZJBflpcAldvX_gm4tqDb1DPV2rp9ex7sT-PUsxnqewMW8kv0VH-2KxfYT2GxkI-diAAiVNPTC5OGc/s400/Debu1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512112317903873602" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFdZENDMEuwUQm9a5-2BA4XbiIKoG20KB1Xk_YCYlqo35v2hLL4XqFvZhzVm3cXlIlVS_WxMuPkKMnorii94MiuXtFVaHlvpNwQGhE-Gf_xoJd09QbeXqaB2nmbqE6i3SnbNE05ErwqI/s1600/Debu.jpg"><br /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Debu Deodhar</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A very close friend from the Institute days he was one of the two day scholars in our class, hailing from Poona, the other one was R.S. Agarwal. Now we have lost both of them, Agarwal having taken the lead. As I had written in an earlier post, we used to keep in touch with each other quite often and whenever possible during my short visits to Mumbai myself, Jaiswal and Venugopal Thakker used to have a get together and talk about good old days at the Institute. I found him always with a smile which was spreading cheer all around as a source of positive energy!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzeIbL3v6xGWdPALaoclXBZj_Dry8dIiAjZT_VL3Ev7hO6rON5eBJZ2lR-EBOOFiRTbpkYD0mFDNkN43MZzjNHTWbnttKR6hwsChbvN1_-P0HdeVD1GUSfQNCfXcvNyPwgrqj9PquKbk/s1600/Reunion.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzeIbL3v6xGWdPALaoclXBZj_Dry8dIiAjZT_VL3Ev7hO6rON5eBJZ2lR-EBOOFiRTbpkYD0mFDNkN43MZzjNHTWbnttKR6hwsChbvN1_-P0HdeVD1GUSfQNCfXcvNyPwgrqj9PquKbk/s400/Reunion.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511972604041054658" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">One of those Happier days</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">at CC</span><br /><br /></div>This time about a month back while I was in Mumbai for the CAS program Jaiswal told me about the critical condition of Debu. Kanal and Kondra who were also attending the CAS , told me about Debu's illness. It seems Cancer had gained an upper hand as it was detected rather at a later stage. Since I had to leave as soon as the CAS was over, I could not pay a visit to him. I was not able to get him on the phone either and left an SMS message.<br /><br />On my recent visit to Chennai, I happened to meet Kasturi Murthy and passed the information about Debu. I was hoping that Debu will get better and had only today sent a mail to Jaiswal inquiring about Debu's health. But, this evening I received the message from Kanal that Debu is no more!<br />God calls those dearest to him much too soon! May the Lord give strength to his near and dear to bear this untimely loss. I join in their prayers for the departed Soul to Rest in Peace.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJpxHRGmqvT3lLny3iadPeHKxLKrmTHA81MO0cCNpEaRzHZeNG9qcPptBsno_7Y9c3hrIxMP_a6odz7woHU6RP6IY5Le5ZgHTjNQEigM2dCC0jlZcW8ekLNVxmTD_nrSo3zrYw1N2VdA/s1600/Debu1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJpxHRGmqvT3lLny3iadPeHKxLKrmTHA81MO0cCNpEaRzHZeNG9qcPptBsno_7Y9c3hrIxMP_a6odz7woHU6RP6IY5Le5ZgHTjNQEigM2dCC0jlZcW8ekLNVxmTD_nrSo3zrYw1N2VdA/s400/Debu1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515518588644353058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Debu in 1968, at Film Institute</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Short Bio and Filmography of Debu:</span><br /><br />Debu Deodhar had worked for Directors like Raj Dutt, Amol Palekar, Aziz Mirza, Nana Patekar, Bhimsain and many others. He had also bagged awards like Maharashtra State Award, Zee Gaurav Puraskar, Goa State Award etc.<br /><br />His work was last seen in a recently released Marathi film ‘Marmabandh’. His forthcoming films are 'Laadi Goadi' and 'Tamashaa'. Some of his other films were - Savalee 2007, Maati Maay 2006, Kshan 2006, Lal Salaam (2002), Pehchaan (2005) , Stumped 2003, Dhyasparva (2001), Kairee (2000) ,Lekroo (2000), Silsila Hai Pyar Ka (1999) ,Daayraa (1996), Bangarwadi (1996), Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991),Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen (1990), Lapandav (1993) Shejari Shejari, Gav Tas Changal, Tinhisanja & Akriet (1981).<br /><br />He is survived by wife Shrabani, daughter Sai and son-in-law Shakti Anand.<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Ramachandra' Babuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709951027986371023noreply@blogger.com2