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A director's take on cinema
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Film director Balu Mahendra, who has a flair for making realistic movies, was in town recently. M. ALLIRAJAN speaks to him to know more about his views on the finer aspects of cinematography and filmmaking.
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A CLASS V student from Amirthakali, Batticaloa, fell in love with motion pictures while on an excursion to Kandy. After watching David Lean shoot the magnum opus "Bridge on the River Kwai", he found `God'. "When he said `Rain', it rained. It was like seeing God," he recalls.
The passion for cinema that took roots then flowered many years later in neighbouring India. Balu Mahendra went on to direct "Kokila", a Kannada film, which fetched him a National Award. His plus points are not only a strong storyline and realism, but also life-like cinematography. Considering that, you are surprised when he tells you his entry into cinematography was an accident.
"My entry into cinematography was an accident. I had applied for a course in direction at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. I had also enclosed some clippings about my achievements in still photography. This probably landed me in cinematography. I hated going to the cinematography department. After sulking for about three months, I finally decided to learn sound recording and film editing ," he recounts.
The time spent at FTII introduced him to the nuances and techniques involved in handling the camera. And, after such a start, he went on to bag the gold medal awarded by the FTII for the year 1969. For this director, the camera is an instrument that records the mind's eye and not the physical eye. During the course of an interactive session organised recently by the GRD College for Science and Commerce, Mr. Mahendra spoke in detail about the art of filmmaking.
"Close-ups, dialogue and music should be used only when necessary. Close-up is unique to cinema. You cannot do it in stage plays. Moreover, there are some moments in real life when you want a close-up — for example, a message about the death of a dear one. In that situation, the mind's eye would like to see the expression on the face."
But, Mr. Mahendra feels many directors don't know how to use close-ups. "When you use it all over the place, it loses its impact."
Honesty shines through every frame of his movies. Is achieving that difficult? "Being naturally simple is the most difficult thing to do in aesthetics. Even for shooting I use only natural light. Acrobatics are a lot more easy," he remarks.
He also wants directors to know cinematography. "A reasonable grounding in cinematography and editing will make a lot of difference to their filmmaking," he says. Why does he prefer shooting in hilly terrain? "Location is not just a backdrop, it is another character in the film. I could have shot Moondram Pirai in the plains. But it would not have had the same visual impact."
Story ideas are generated by the impact of experiences, he says. "It is about borrowing from the experiences in your life and that of others. My mother started constructing a house when I was seven. Then, something went wrong and there were quarrels at home. She started crying all alone. Those were my first memories of my mother. Years later, they formed the crux of "Veedu", which was about the problems associated with constructing a house."
Mr. Mahendra feels visuals should rule cinema. "After the silent era, there was an enthusiastic over-use of dialogues. Now it is being abused," he comments.
"Today, most films are just photographical radio plays. They are just picturising songs and dialogues. I make it a point to use dialogue only if I cannot express a point through visuals."
Why do women have such a major role in his creations? "Women have played a prominent role, both positive and negative, in shaping my life. And, they continue to make an impact."
And, casting women who look like the "girls living next door" as protagonists in his movies is a conscious decision. "Archana, Mounika... all have this image of girls next door. Moreover, I like women with a dark complexion," he says in a lighter vein.
Like many others, Mr. Mahendra, too, is influenced by the great master, Satyajit Ray, who taught him at the FTII. That has resulted in movies that look natural. "Ray comes from the realistic school of filmmaking, which is the best way to portray the Indian way of life. While watching his films, one tends to forget one is watching a movie; you feel something is happening in front of your eyes. Ray's thoughts stuck on with me over the years."
Mr. Mahendra also made his mark on the small screen with "Kadhai Neram". "It was a satisfying experience. I loved doing it as there were no commercial compromises. Certain stories which I could not have possibly used in cinema found place in that series". He continues. "Kadhai Neram" helped me express my literary thoughts. I hope to re-start it and am in the process of selecting stories."
Of all his creations, "Veedu" and "Sandhya Raagam" are his favourites, for "In these films, commercial interests did not get to play a role." But, compromises become inevitable at times and Mr. Mahendra admits he is no exception. "It is true that I made compromises in certain movies. They were done due to unavoidable economic compulsions."
He believes he still has the fire and passion left to make good movies. Shooting "Julie Ganapathy", his latest flick, was a great challenge, Mr. Mahendra says. "Almost the entire movie was shot in a single room that has only one window. All the light that entered the room through this window was diffused and so, some of the day sequences were shot in the night."
After more than two decades in direction, he feels that film appreciation should be introduced as a subject at the higher secondary level.
"Whether you like it or not, cinema has become a part and parcel of day-to-day life. We have to teach children how to look at cinema and help them know the difference between a good and a bad film. Otherwise, they might get to see rubbish without our knowledge," he cautions.
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