IT'S FORTUNATE TO BE A CINEMATOGRAPHER

INTERVIEW
SHAMDAT/K B Venu

Shamdat is a self-made man and an unconventional cinematographer. Even while working in big budget South Indian movies he longs to be associated at times with genuine projects of struggling filmmakers. K B Venu met Shamdat while he was shooting Pramani, a star-studded Malayalam movie.

You are known for your experimentations in cinematography and unconventional methods. What motivated you into cinematography?
I started as a still photographer. Many of my photographs got acclaims. My first cinematic venture was a short film called Dominion, in black and white. I was the producer of the film too. I had no plans to assist any one at first, thinking of the uncomfortable situations I might face while working with someone else.
Technical aspects of cinematography can be learnt from books and by watching films. Cinema is something that should exist in us. I thought I could learn it by myself. Later I assisted Ravi K Chandran in some films. The first one was Kandukonden Kandukonden directed by Rajiv Menon. Snip, Dil Chahta Hain, Calcutta Mail, Citizen and Punaradhivasam followed. I stayed with him for one and a half years. Then he told me to be independent. If you continue as an assistant for more than one and a half years you will lose your creativity, he said. I became independent and started with advertisement films. First film was in Telugu, called Premaya Namah. That was a commercial film. Krithyam was my first film in Malayalam. Films like Vargam, Tiger, Smart City, IG, Duplicate and Ritu followed.

Ritu was a different experience.
The director Shyamaprasad gave me full freedom to decide on things. I got the script two months before the shoot. While reading the script I began to formulate an idea of how to treat the subject. The cast was full of new faces and Shyamaprasad used to bring every one of them to the location where I was working for another film. Then I stayed with the actors for a whole week in a rehearsal camp. The basic exercise one should do before starting a movie is to get involved with the story and characters. Camera is an instrument for narrating the story. Cinematographer is the one who views the cinema first. Shyamaprasad provided me with all the facilities to evolve my perspective on the subject. The design of the movie was prepared well in advance. Everything went smooth and natural. We didn’t add any kind of embellishments anywhere in the movie. That is the precise reason why people found
Ritu a refreshing experience. When we work with actors with no prior experience, their comfort must be assured first. We should not put heavy lights in front of them while they face the camera. I also used a method of panning the camera in between two characters while they engaged in a conversation. This was made possible because I knew the story and the characters beforehand. When one person tells something, I can understand at what time the one who listens to him will react.

Shyamaprasad had a clear perception about the film he is making. I worked as an extension of his eyes. When the cinematographer functions as a substitute for the director’s eyes, he must be able to deliver more, even beyond what the director expects. There lies the success of the cinematographer. He must also be aware of the limitations of the technical environment. An able DOP must overcome limitations and produce better results.

The modern generation of filmmakers makes use of the possibility of manipulating visuals on the editing table. A veteran filmmaker recently opined that because of this trend, one cannot asses the real merit of the cinematographer. How do you react to this?

I don’t share this opinion. Cinema is a fast growing medium. It’s true that some such films are also being made. We cannot do anything about that. It all depends on the filmmaker’s choice and taste. There is scope for any number of experiments in filmmaking since technology keeps growing. There are no hard and fast rules on filmmaking. Everyone should have individual opinions on artistic creation. I don’t think such experiments on the editing table will come in the way of assessing a cinematographer. If the DOP is aware well in advance about the kind of film being made, he can even abstain from such projects.


Why did you move away from Malayalam films and settle in Hyderabad doing Telugu movies?
I don’t think budget is a big factor in making quality films. In Malayalam we don’t have good quality films produced without the backing of huge budget. Even if such films happen occasionally, there is no guarantee that I will become part of it. I am not interested in doing films that depend much on camera gimmicks. I keep on watching international movies out of my interest in learning films. Cinema is entering newer realms as time passes. We still follow the worn out gimmicks. I understood that I must go out for better opportunities. I can’t take chances and wait for the rare occasions when a good film comes on my way.

Have you ever tried to compare the quality of movies made in India and outside?

You watch a foreign movie made in the Sixties and a new Malayalam cinema. You will be able to understand our position in technological terms. When we compare our films with their films, we are far below even now. In fact, I am trying to elevate the quality of my work at least to the level they achieved in the Seventies and Eighties. Films made in Hollywood, France and Germany are technically superior. Even in the smaller Arabian countries, technically excellent films are being made. They are dedicated to what they do.
But the most important goal for us is to complete shooting the film in forty-five days. There are producers and filmmakers who do not insist on picture quality because the prints are in UFO and CUBE. But I don’t want to do a film for the output offered by UFO and CUBE.
In your opinion, what is the solution for this sorry state?
We don’t have to spend so much time preparing for a quality film. What we need is meticulous planning. Do the work with a thorough understanding of its true nature.
Ritu is a perfect example for this kind of planning. We completed the shooting the film comfortably within a span of twenty-six days. There were no late night schedules. We used to start shooting at about 6.30 in the morning and continued till 6 pm. Sometimes we worked till 10 pm. Whenever there was lack of light, we simply stopped shooting and took rest. We enjoyed the pleasure of filmmaking. I consider each film crew as a single family. It includes the light boys, crane unit members, technicians, actors and all. A unique relationship develops in between the crew while the shooting is going on. I believe this relationship is the ultimate beauty of cinema. When we begin the next movie, we are entering another family. If a technician fails to make and maintain such relationships, he will be reduced to a mere plastic figure. I believe in maintaining relationships, even when there is no filmmaking going on.


How did your entry into Telugu films happen?
I had produced and directed a short film called Born Again. When I was in Hyderabad, a young cinematographer whom I knew before invited me for the preview of a Telugu movie in which he had worked as DOP. I was not in a mood for watching Telugu movies at that time, but when he insisted I went and saw the movie. That movie, directed by Eleti Chandrasekhar, was an amazing one. I was much impressed by it. I told my friend that I really liked the movie and gave him the DVD of my short film Born Again. Eleti Chandrasekhar happened to watch this DVD and contacted me. I was assigned to do his next film. But I couldn’t do that film because of so many reasons. Then, after doing some more Malayalam films, I went to Chennai and settled there. But I was not doing any films. I was waiting for an opportunity to do a quality project. Then Ravi K Chandran told me that there is no point in waiting for the film of my liking. He asked me to work whichever films offered to me. That was how I did the Telugu film
Avakai Biriyani directed by Anish Kuruvilla. This was in 2008. I keep shooting films from then on.


Tell me about the selection of stock, since you believe more in camera and proper lighting.

In my opinion, all stocks are good. Lighting is the most important factor in cinematography. Quality of the work depends on how we use the material available to us. I cannot recommend a particular stock as superior to others.

You watch a lot of international movies as part of your learning process. Who is your favourite cinematographer?
I appreciate Emmanuel Lubezki who was behind the Hollywood film Sleepy Hollow. There are so many others whom I like. The working pattern of foreign cinematographers is entirely different from that of ours. Now we have some cinematographers in Bollywood and elsewhere who are experimenting on the possibilities of the camera.

How do you evaluate your own work? Are you satisfied with the kind of films you do now?
I am yet to reach that level. I am moving forward to reach there.

You showed me clippings from a movie called One Rupee, which was finished in a shoestring budget. How did you get involved in that movie?

The director of the movie was the third assistant of Chandrasekhar Eleti. He came to me with a short story written by his late father. He wanted to make a movie based on the story. We started working on the film in a simple manner. We went for shooting with just an idea of the particular sequence to be shot on the day. The entire members of the crew used to travel to the shooting location jam-packed in an old van. We became one with the villagers and they helped us a lot. We ate food prepared in houses, bathed in the river and slept on its banks. We all became volunteers while working in that movie. The film belonged to each one of us. You will never obtain that pleasure while working in a professional atmosphere.

You have a lot of original ideas about cinematography and cinema in general. Do you cherish directorial ambitions?
Of course, I will do a film in my life. However, I don’t think I will be able to lead the life of a director till the end. The life of a cinematographer is more satisfying. The advantage is that he can work with different directors; share numerous experiences, listen to various stories and interact with a number of artistes and technicians. Each film is a new experience. It is fortunate to be a cinematographer. I like the life of a cinematographer, which is comfortable and free of tension. I am a person who gets tense easily. I don’t want to take risks. My directorial debut will happen. I don’t know when. For the time being let me enjoy shooting films, understand the characters, laugh and cry with them.