MAKING BOLD, BEAUTIFUL

 

 

Abhik Mukhopadhyay, Cinematographer: Composing poetry, not porn

“For a person who is holding a cutter, a love making scene or a comedy scene is the same”

What are the challenges in f i- lming intimate scenes?

Sequences of forceful lovemaking (if at all we should call it love making) were pivotal in Antarmahal, as it built Soha’s subconscious and also explored Jackie’s behaviour. It’s always difficult in Indian cinema to shoot love making scenes. It’s a scene where no actor is really comfortable, and they become too self conscious. And I think it’s deep rooted in our social conditioning. So the understanding between the actors is really important, and as those scenes are really well plotted in the context in Antarmahal, they managed well. Jackie really created a comfortable atmosphere for Soha. Aesthetically, to a cinematographer and director, this entire process appears as a different problem. How do we shoot a sequence like this?

What kind of lighting, what point of view should one take?

and discussing the scene...

We don’t discuss such scenes in great detail, rather we break them into mechanical details like how to use a certain light, or which profile, position etc. That eases the actor.

rehearsals?

No rehearsals!

what are the inhibitions that surface when f ilming an intimate scene in the presence of onlookers?

According to me there is no onlooker in a film set. For a person who is holding a cutter and sitting on a catwalk, a love making scene or a comedy scene is the same, because at the end of the day they will get 200 bucks anyway – they are just doing their job! I am not in favour of throwing them out, by doing this we can only underline awkwardness.

which according to you are the boldest moments in hollywood & bollywood? In Bollywood there is none. World cinema there are millions of examples of bold, bolder and boldest moments. Example: Last Tango in Paris. how do you draw a line between sensuality and vulgarity?

I think vulgarity begins where sensuality ends. It’s also social conditioning – someone might think some of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings are sensual, some others might find them vulgar. It’s relative.

How does one solve a situation where the actress does not agree with the degree of boldness desired by the director or the script?

One has to be convinced about the script and the context. I have never done a film where nudity, sensuality or such a moment was ever used for some other purpose. So it’s a matter of how one communicates the idea and the context to the actors, crew and technicians involved Roopa Ganguly: A woman’s perspective



Where do you draw the line between sensuality and vulgarity?

What defines this line?

I think it mostly depends on where one puts the camera. It is the cinematographer and the director’s vision as to what they expect out of that scene, whether it is sensual or vulgar. I remember one sequence in Parinda – a dimly lit bedroom sequence that made Madhuri’s bare arms look so sensual and great. It completely depends on how you want to portray something. A little kissing scene can be made attractive with the right camera angles.

But Antarmahal sequences were not meant to be sensual. The movie is depicted from a woman’s eyes and that had fewer elements of sensuality and more of sex that was forced and torturous.

what was your role like and what were the challenges you faced?

I play the elder bahu who is blamed for being sterile and thus the younger bahu (Soha Ali Khan) comes in. I wouldn’t categorize the bedroom scenes as bold scenes; they are simply revealing. I had two of these sequences, one a kissing scene with Jackie and one with the purohit where my whole back is bare to allure him. When I read the script, I realized that it made complete sense for the character to be shown in that manner. For the character, her whole life is centred around that bed, it’s a kind of prostitution where all her demands are fulfilled. For her, being bare-bodied meant nothing as they are unaware of sensual lovemaking, they only know sex without emotions. But for Roopa Ganguly it was a big deal.

Was it tough to do such scenes in the presence of onlookers?

If the scene is justified, then I have the least hang-ups, plus I had a lot of faith in Rituparno and clearly understood what he expected. Usually, in such scenes, the crew is asked to leave the sets after the lighting etc is taken care of. Such adjustments are very comforting for an artist. In terms of portrayal and acceptance, how is it different for a woman?

For a woman, it’s more difficult, for apart from the audience, the family might not approve either. And there is a good chance, mine don’t either! So if they don’t accept it, they don’t watch it! But the problem for an actor is, shedding all inhibitions first.

Do you think vulgarity is relative? does it vary with cultures or is it universal?

I’m a very straightforward person. What seems to get me sometimes is that when you watch an English movie and enjoy the woman taking off her clothes, then why can’t you realize that she is someone’s wife too. It is not about the body, it is all about the feelings. And I can tell you for a fact that when we perform, it’s only about the lighting, the camera and the angles, and no feelings! So it is mainly about personal perceptions and not culture.

What was it like working with the award-winning rituparno ghosh?

Ritu makes all his artists very comfortable and once he’s sure of what he wants, he would convince you to no end. Just in case he fails to do so, he finds a middle path to take that disturbed look off your face! I know, there maybe directors who mean more, but they would not handle you with the ease he does.