Less is More
Sharmishtha Roy discusses how script will always be the hero and that the job of the art director is to complement the flow of the story
4 min read
The lesser the presence of the art director is felt in a frame,the better. Art direction conveys a story through visuals and the process is soundless. Though,we often collaborate with sound designers later to create an experiential ambience, says Sharmishtha Roy,noted Bollywood art director,whose repertoire includes films like Meenaxi: Tale of Three Cities (2004),Veer-Zaara (2004) and Talaash (2012),among many others. Roy was in the city on Saturday to interact and discuss the nuances of art direction with final year FTII Art Direction department students.
An art director’s work,she says,is to facilitate visual storytelling as a component in the machinery and it can at no point come in the way of seamless storytelling. Though a film is a visual experience and art direction has much to do with creating that experience,it is a cardinal sin for the art directors work to stand out in a frame, she explains.
Roys trade,nuanced as it may be,has no room for power-play. The script will always be the hero. My job is to complement the flow of the story. Above all,the skill lies in playing on subtleties. But there are certain cases wherein the director feels the art direction must take charge; in other cases it remains an accessory, she says,adding an example,In the case of Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001),the film,being a melodrama,was conceptualised to be larger-than-life. It was designed to be a visual treat. The sets were heavy,the graph of the film was melodramatic and the lighting wasnt subtle.
In another case,Roy was roped in to keep the look of the film from getting too dreary. I was made a part of Talaash (2012) for my background. The film was very realistic and I was expected to add that bit of glamour and gloss to the feel of the film to make it palatable, says Roy,according to whom every film deserves a unique treatment,meted out by the art directors skills.
Roy attributes her long successful spell to her desire to do something different; to create a new aesthetic. She stepped into the industry during the early ’90s,a time when Bollywood cinema was undergoing a tectonic shift. During my fathers (Sudhendhu Roy,veteran film director and production designer) times,directors came from small towns to big cities. But when I came into the industry,a new younger generation of filmmakers,who had travelled the world,were bringing a global cultural influence into Indian films, says Roy,adding Needless to say,their vision had to be translated into visuals,and that is where I came in.
At FTII,Roy conducted a workshop for the art direction students,discussing the students works in class. She also gave them assignments,which were appraised by her. The interaction with the students was very educative. They are a talented lot; and while I gave them a reality check,I learnt the nuances of art direction as a discourse,something I didnt undergo when I started out, says Roy.
Roy stresses that it is very important for one to know the rules to break them. I am glad there are institutions which are turning art direction into a discourse and going about it in a formalised way, says Roy,adding It is a great time to be working in films as an art director. There is advanced technology at ones disposal and new subjects are being handled by filmmakers. The scope is immense,but students must make sure they get their basics right.
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