20th Annual Life OK Screen Awards/ Winners

While writing about the process of editing for a blog on cinema, Deepa Bhatia, whose film editing career took off with Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, had said that a good film editor should have the “devotion of a classical musician and “must have the same quiet soulful relationship with the material”. A look at the films that Bhatia has worked, which includes Student of the Year, Ferrari Ki Sawaari, Stanley Ka Dabba, My Name Is Khan, Rock On!!, Taare Zameen Par leaves you with no doubt that she walks the talk as well.
Married to writer, film-maker and actor Amole Gupte, she also does not hesitate to appreciate a contemporary’s work, one of which includes Hemanti Sarkar for her work in English Vinglish. This year’s award for Best Editing for her work in film Kai Po Che is her second Screen award, the first being for the film Rock On!! (2008).

“I am very happy to get the Screen Award for Kai Po Che.
I just want to say that every editor is as good as the director and the material he/she gets to work with. So, this award belongs so much to Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) for making such a brave film with such sensitivity. I’m also very grateful to the jury for recognising my work.” — Deepa Bhatia

Best Sound Design

Nihar Ranjan Samal & Bishwadeep Chatterjee (Madras Cafe )

Considering sound plays an important part in a film. Especially if it’s an espionage thriller like Madras Cafe, every element and sound needs to be captured to heighten the experience of the drama unfolding before a viewer. Clearly Nihar Ranjan Samal and Bishwadeep Chatterjee, both with a reputation of being best in their field, achieved just that. It’s only with 3 Idiots that Samal got into mainstream Hindi films, while it was an art-house film Choker Bali by the late Rituparno Ghosh that Chatterjee came into films. If Samal has Tanu Weds Manu, Vicky Donor and Ferrari Ki Sawari, Chatterjee has been associated with films like Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnbhai, 3 Idiots and, now Madras Cafe. Chatterjee has earlier bagged a Screen award for Eklavya  (2007).

“I’m very happy that our work has been appreciated by the Jury, especially for a film like Madras Cafe, which was difficult for every department.” — Nihar Ranjan Samal

“This is my second Screen Award, I’d won the first one for Eklavya. I’m absolutely thrilled, and am very thankful to the Jury for recognising the effort we’ve put in Madras Cafe, and thanks to Shoojit Sircar and Ronnie Lahiri, who allowed us to really indulge, and gave us the platform to create the sound design that we did.” — Bishwadeep Chatterjee