Debasish is a director of photography and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune Alumnus with industry experience over a decade and half. Born in Kolkata, the city that lives and breaths art, Debasish’s inclination towards moving images was evident since his early years.
He is a storyteller, making images that tell the story, evoke emotion, and transport you to another place and time. In his illustrious fifteen year career in cinematography, he has worked extensively on feature films, Commercials like Milton, Shalimar, Cadbury, HUL, Godrej, Abbott , Web-Series, Food & Travel shows, music video, documentary & Corporate films.
His notable works include feature films with eminent actor Sanjay Mishra “Thoda Lutf, Thoda Ishq” & “Paranthe Wali Gali”. Working with powerful actors like Sanjay Mishra & Rajpal Yadav, he gained a unique insight into camera and actors’ cinematic & creative synthesis.
His collaboration with ace director Vikram Bhatt on the 3D Film “Mr. X” , expanded his understanding of cutting edge techniques in cinematography. Opportunity of working with cult director Ram Gopal Varma in the film “Phoonk” enhanced his art.
As a child what were your early influences towards cinema?
I remember,when I was in school,there was this TV program called Chuti Chuti which used to be broadcasted during the Durga Puja vacation. As a part of this program I watched a few Bengali classics which I still remember e.g. Sonar Kella, Hirak Rajar Deshe by Satyajit Ray,Hirer Angti by Rituporno Ghosh. These films along with a rich heritage of Bengali children’s literature probably kind of shaped my inclination towards arts.
How did you first become interested in cinematography? Did you start with photography?
In kolkata there is this auditorium cum artist’s hang-out place called Nandan. There used to be a screening of a film from a master filmmaker every wednesday evening. When I was doing graduation,I used to watch these films every wednesday after college.Incidentally I was also doing a still photography course around the same time. As a result I discovered cinematography. And fell in love with it.
What steps did you take to train yourself?
As I said,I did a still photography course. Then when I discovered cinematography,I thought I should learn it at an established institution. So I applied at FTII,Pune in my final year of graduation and fortunately got in.
Learning cinematography isn’t and wasn’t easy.I am still learning. But today we have the facility of very good monitors,color correction set-up,extreme low-light sensitive cameras etc. When I was at FTII,we were learning cinematography on films. We could only see what we had shot only after processing and grading,unlike today. It took almost our entire second year just to learn how to expose a film properly! But that was the best training possible.
Have you assisted anyone? How does it help one?
I have assisted a few of my seniors from FTII like Rajesh Joshi, Savita Singh etc. and some other DoPs too. Assisting helps immensely. Studying cinematography in a film school is just the beginning of learning in my opinion. The cinematography which is being practised in the industry is generally quite different and in some ways advanced than a film school,which can only be learnt by assisting. Also it helps a lot in networking.
How did your first film project come about?
My first feature was “Paranthe Wali Gali”. The director, Sachin Gupta posted on facebook that he was looking for a DoP for his upcoming film. I sent in my resume. Then he contacted me and we started talking about the project. After a few meetings we understood each other’s sensibility and decided to work together.
What is perhaps the most important factor for you to choose a script?
Whether I am feeling for the characters and their lives. Only then I can visualize their lives and create them in a cinematic space.
Is cinematography intuitive or is it something you learn?
I think both.Since it is an art form and any art comes from artistic intuition,cinematography has to do a lot with our innermost creative intuition. On the other hand, cinematography is a beautiful mixture of art and science which needs to be studied meticulously to even begin to understand it. It takes a lifetime to understand the subject.
Tell us something about your latest film.
I just shot a short film directed by my wife Shobhita Thakur who is also an FTII, Pune alumnus.
It’s about a little girl,her quest for education,her relationships and struggles with family and society.
We shot it in Bhopal.
Where do you seek inspiration from?
From everyday life. I believe nothing can be more beautiful and exciting than a narrow streak of sunlight,just before sunset, illuminating a small plant on my dining table. All the references,all the inspirations are all around us all the time. All we have to do is to ‘look’.
What is in the kitty right now?
I recently entered a new phase of my life,which is Film education. I’m currently teaching at FTII,Pune. As you can imagine,it’s a difficult task teaching at your alma mater…but at the same time exciting too. I’m also learning a lot while teaching. But that’s called ‘FTII’,isn’t it?
What’s your dream project?
A long format project with Paolo Sorrentino! I am a diehard fan of Sorrentino! “The Great Beauty” and “The Young Pope” changed my entire concept of camera movement!
Your most memorable blunder?
Too many! Once I was pulling focus in a film. Om Puri sir was acting. I had to pull focus from the right side of the camera as there was no space on the usual left side. I didn’t get any rehearsal as lots of characters were there in the frame. When the camera rolled,I rotated the focus dial in the opposite direction. I wasn’t accustomed to the right side of the camera. Of course the entire shot was out of focus. I was expecting Om Puri sir to yell at me. But fortunately he didn’t. He immediately agreed to give another take. I still remember the relief I felt!
Any advice to the inspiring cinematographers?
Cinematography is much more than camera,lights,rigs and all those amazing gears. We sometimes tend to get lost in the technicalities of all this equipment and technologies and forget the fact we are simply storytellers, telling our stories through light. So many brilliant films are being made all over the world without the help of all those gizmos. All it takes to create a piece of cinema is a camera and a few basic lights. Maybe we should keep thinking about this fact more.
What book, music, movie are you enjoying right now?
I just finished “1000 years of solitude”. Now I am looking forward to watching the show based on the book. I am hearing they have adapted the book well!
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