Picture Perfect

In his many self-training sessions at amateur photography,a particular instance has a special significance in cinematographer Binod Pradhan’s life. Back in his hometown in Kalimpong,West Bengal,Pradhan found his prime subject for experimentation in a heavily-wrinkled beedi smoking old lady. “The sun rays would come into the room through the small window and I would take pictures of her in that light. The room was dark but the light was strong,and somehow I could never capture it in a frame,” says Pradhan,explaining the importance of lighting in his craft,and life at large. His apartment on the 17th floor of a Lokhandwala society overlooks a vast expanse of mangroves; abundant with light,precisely the reason why he chose to stay there. “I like soft,pleasant lights and a lot of it comes from studying nature,” says the 58-year-old. Pradhan has an envious body of work — right from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro to 1942: A Love Story,Devdas,to his latest,Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Much like his fixation towards lighting,Pradhan’s other photographic traits too can be traced to the early influences in his childhood. Pradhan’s stepping stone into the world of images was through the humble interiors of a small studio owned by his father in their hometown. It was the time of black-and-white images,and Pradhan’s first tryst with colour photographs were the hand-painted transparent colours he used to add on them. A popular practice at the time,it would infuse a painting-like layer to the photographs and Pradhan attempted to recreate the same visual quality in the period portions of Rang De Basanti,another feather in his cap,that still sticks to mind for its haunting visual palette. “I didn’t want them to be the typical sepia,but like black-and-white that has aged,a lot like a painting,” he says. One of Pradhan’s leisure activities is studying painting.

In his four decades in the industry,Pradhan’s most easily definable work characteristic remains the aesthetic pleasantness of its frames. Does the comforting quality become a hindrance while shooting more realistic and gritty scenes? “I like my frames to be pleasant,not necessarily pretty. I can be gritty in my own way,like Parinda,which is devoid of gloss,” he says.

His story gives the impression of an old school lensman. But one of the reasons Pradhan has become one of Bollywood’s most respected cinematographers because of his openness to experimenting with new technologies. Since Mausam he has moved into digital and in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,he employed a camera trick to enhance sports scenes. “Even though Farhan (Akhtar) ran really fast,I had to make him look as fast as Milkha Singh. I had to use a fast-forward like effect for that,” he says. Pradhan is currently shooting for 2 States,and will start on Assamese director Jahnu Barua’s next,Homing Pigeons. “The only criterion to do a film is the comfort level with the director and I usually know it in the first few meetings. All I want from the director is the creative freedom and the basic respect for the visual medium,” he says. Pradhan’s memorable works have come with directors known for their visual flair — Vidhu Vinod Chopra,

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Among his influences,Pradhan counts Satyajit Ray’s reliable collaborator Subrata Mitra and The Godfather series for its layered brilliance and how it still gives him the best camera lessons.