Tell us soemthing about yourself.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from University Department of Chemical Technology (U.D.C.T.) University of Bombay. I also hold a Diploma in Business Management from Indian Merchants’ Chamber, Bombay.
From where did you start your career?
Initially I started my career as a Chemical Engineer with a Petrochemical Company ‘Amines & Plasticizers Ltd’ in New Bombay. Later in 1981 I joined “Filmcenter”, Mumbai as deputy plant manager. Unfortunately then there was no technical training available. We had to undertake practical training. Moreover, since imports weren’t allowed, Filmlabs had to design and fabricate film processing machines. My very first assignment was to design and manufacture a negative processing machine. Later in 1989 I was promoted as Technical Manager and was involved in the modernisation programme of the Filmcenter Laboratory.Currently I am a Technical Director at Patel India, a company which is the distributor for FUJIFILM and has the latest film processing facility Filmlab at Goregaon.
But why a chemical engineer to do all this?
Smiles) Chemicals from film emulsions react with those in the processing machines. The products are also chemicals in the form of colours. Here, a chemical engineer is the best person to understand the chemical reaction and control it.
From where did you learn about Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)?
SMPTE controls the quality standards for Motion Picture and Television Industry around the world. I learnt about SMPTE through their magazines. I presented my first Technical Paper at the 135th SMPTE International Conference at Los Angeles in 1993. This was followed by my second paper at the 1999 New York conference. I presented my third at the 2002 Los Angeles Conference about ‘Online Sensitometric Control for Motion Picture Film Processing.’
Tell us about the technology.
This new technology changes the current offline quality control using sensitometric strips to a new online control system, which will have the sensitometric strip between the perforations of the Picture Negative Film (an area not used so far) .This will benefit cinematographers as it will tell them the exact processing condition of their film negatives.
It will also benefit the Film Laboratories around the world as they can monitor film processing conditions online. D.I. facilities will use this system for calibration with film labs. This technology was well appreciated and I was granted my first U.S.Patent in February 2005 for this. Today I can proudly say that I am the first Indian resident to get a U.S.Patent for Motion Picture Technology and also the only one from the country to present three technical papers at the SMPTE International conferences. Here, I would definitely like to mention the encouragement and support given to me by Late Ramesh Patel, Managing Director of Filmcenter and Sanjay Patel, Patel India’s current Managing Director for helping me achieve my current recognition in this field.
Do you represent India at the SMPTE still?
Yes, I have been representing India on the SMPTE Engineering Committees L-6 (Laboratory Technology)and F-2(Film Technology) for the last five years and have put in some valuable suggestions about the practice followed in India about coating the original negatives and also about X-ray damages done to the negatives at airports.
Anything spectacular that has been initiated by you?
Yes, I have initiated the use of environment-friendly UL-Bleach in India for processing Films, using Akzo Nobel’s Dissolvine Chelating Agents at FILMLAB India in 2004. This technology replaces the polluting Ferricyanide bleach technology. In recognition to this I have been appointed as the Global Technical Consultant by ‘Akzo Nobel’; a Netherlands based Fortune 500 Multi National Company (MNC) with a sales turnover of over 20 Billion USD (approximately Rs.220 crores per day) and has around 62,000 employees, with offices around the world in 80 countries.Akzo Nobel has decided to promote this technology worldwide including Hollywood. On my part, I will be interacting with the Motion Picture Industry around the world for this promotion. In December 2007, I have presented this technology at the very first conference about “Hollywood Goes Green” held at Los Angeles.
Have you won any award in the country?
I have received the Maharashtra Government Award for Technical Excellence for being the first Indian to be granted a U.S.Patent in Motion Picture Technology in April 2005. Then I got the Western India Cinematographers Association’s Special Award for Contribution to Film Processing Technology.
Have you received a National / International award?
Yes, I won a National Award after my patented technology was selected as one of the top three technologies from India by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and the Department of Science andTechnology, Government of India. IIMA will fund me and help me marketing this technology. In October 2007, I was selected as “Fellow” by the SMPTE and was awarded the Fellowship at an Award function held at New York. I am happy to say that I am the first resident Indian to get the Fellowship from SMPTE, the highest technical recognition given by the society.
Have you been associated with films?
I was the technical advisor for the Marathi film Shwaas which won the National award in 2003 and was India’s entry to the Oscars.
Do you give lectures too?
Yes, I am a guest lecturer at all the film institutes in India. I have worked on the Technical Advisory Committee of N.F.D.C. (National Film Development Corporation, Govt.of India) and have also worked on the Photographic Chemicals Standards Committee of Bureau of Indian Standards (I.S.I.). I have written several scripts for Science Teleserial Turning Point for Indian Television, Science Programmes for All India Radio and written technical articles about Film Technology in various periodicals.