Behind The Scene

MAZHAR KAMRAN
The camera as the real hero
This FTII graduate who, before moving on to feature films shot several documentaries, ad films and short docu-features for a popular television cultural magazine, says that technical wizardry is meaningless unless it is backed by a good story. He explains, "The story comes first. When you have a good story, cinematography helps in telling it effectively. Good camerawork enhances the impact of the story."

For Mazhar the fascination for camera began during his days as an engineering student at IIT, Chennai, where he used to run a film society. An avid cine-buff, he took the opportunity to see a lot of European, Japanese, Hollywood and Indian classics which led to a growing passion for cinema and cinematography. After graduating in electrical engineering, he joined the FTII and obtained his diploma in cinematography and assisted well known cameramen RM Rao and Barun Mukherji on several ad films.

Mazhar’s first major work as an independent cinematographer was Chakori, a 16mm short film for children which won the special jury award at the International Film Festival for Children and Young Persons.
His love for travelling, and seeing new places and interest in varied subjects other than films, led to his involvement in documentary films as both cinematographer and director. Fragrance of Love, Lucknow -- Legacy of An Era, Saperagaon, Kashmir File and Hello Zindagi are some of his works as director-cinematographer.

Between 1991 and ’95 he worked as one of the team directors for Surabhi which he describes as the most enjoyable experience "because it gave me a sense of discovery as I travelled a lot and covered almost the whole of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar."

A big break came his way with Satya when Gerard Hooper quit the film because he couldn’t give more than 40 days to its shoots, and Ram Gopal Verma opted for Mazhar. "Ramu gave me a free hand and I allowed the camera to move freely rather than shooting from fixed angles and it worked very well in giving the film a look of realism," he elaborates. "The harsh, rough and true-to-life quality of the cinematography contributed immensely to the credibility in the film’s story and played a crucial role in its commercial and critical success."
He became Verma’s obvious choice to shoot Kaun as well. "It was an unusual film, shot in 21 days in a bungalow with just three characters and a dead body. Again I allowed the camera to move freely and gave it a different shade and visual feel," says Mazhar, who has explored the mainstream genre of cinema with Tarkieb, a taut murder mystery. "In keeping with the film’s plot, I have given lush treatment to the songs, added softness to the romance and added an element of grit to the story that is meant to send chills and thrills down the spine of the viewers," he reveals. Mazhar works in tandem with his directors and gets to the essence of the film. "Camera work is an important expressive element of filmmaking," he observes.

"As cinematographer I see my role as giving definition to the story through the visual language, just as actors and musicians help the story unspool effectively." His future assignments include one film each with Esmayeel Shroff and Ram Gopal Verma.

AL Chougule