KABIRLAL
HIS TALENT TRAVELS

The mystery, the passion, the power and the magic of talent is very difficult to unravel for a common man or woman. I can give you any number of cases, files full of them, infact, but right now I am fascinated by the young cinematographer from the South Kabir Lal who is all set to give the cinematographer of Mumbai a complex.

Kabir says he has never asked his parents why he is named Kabir. He is also not aware of how why and when he took a fascination for the camera. The magic of pictures that resulted with the mere switching of a button of a machine called the camera mesmerised him. He gave up all his ambitions and decided to work the same kind of magic with the same kind of machine, the camera. He worked as an assistant with several senior directors and accepted as one of the genius of the future . It took Kabir very little time to master the art of cinematography. He started as an ad film maker, went on to make telefilms and documentaries. And within no time Kabir Lal was known as one of the leading cinematographers in the South. The opinions among directors and artists was unanimous. He was a genius in one voice.” I never knew what they meant when they called me a genius or a brilliant cameraman. I only knew that I have to work hard, hard enough to make an impact on filmmakers and stars who knew the value of cinematography and had so much trust and faith in me”.

Then came the big change and with the change the challenge. The showman from Mumbai, Subhash Ghai, who had worked with brilliant cinematographers like Kamlakar Rao, Pramod Mittal, and Ashok Mehta wanted “a breeze of change”. He wanted a man who was passionately in love with the camera and what the camera could do in time to come. He came across Kabir Lal. They met, they had several discussions and the showman was overwhelmed and took just a few days to take a decision Kabir Lal would be Subhash Ghai’s the showman’s cinematographer, first in Pardes which was followed by Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Na Pyar Hai and now he is busy working with the Showman on Yaadein with Hrithik Roshan , Kareena Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff.

And now the most unbelievable miracle in the life of Kabir Lal. Prakash Mehra, the veteran filmmaker who was one of the Badshahs of the seventies and eighties has signed Kabir not as the cinematographer but as a director to direct his son Sumeet who is making his debut in P. M. P. Production new film which will go on the floors some time during the end of this year. Sumeet who has spent most of his life abroad “ and who looks like a star from Hollywood” will play the leading man. In the meanwhile Prakash Mehra and Kabir Lal are looking for a new lading lady to match Sumeet. The film is based on a script by Honey Irani.

Kabir Lal who felt he was destined to make it as a cinematographer in the South was beguiled, cheated by destiny. His talent made him travel to Mumbai with a name with first two films and then get selected to direct a film in Hindi by Prakash Mehra one of the all time big commercial film makers which makes the challenge for Kabir Lal much more challenging. The future, Kabir Lal lives to his talent in which he has always believed his hard work, ’PM’s co-operation and the will of God..

Ali Peter John