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Journalism of Courage
A teleprompter, half-a-dozen focus lights, a camera, editing machines and plenty of action make up the studio of filmmaker Mike Pandey. Housed in an L-shape hall on the second floor of his Chirag Enclave bungalow in New Delhi, it reflects Pandey8217;s passion for conservation.
In the huge wooden rack that separates the staircase from the studio are stocked varied artefacts. 8220;I love collecting all that is old and unusual,8221; Pandey says, as he picks up a metal lantern once used at railway stations. A Kashmiri kangri a cane basket containing coal, which serves as a portable heater, a jute lamp, books and brass sarotas occupy other sections of the rack.
His studio, Pandey says, changes with each project he takes up. 8220;I keep adding posters and redoing the interiors in sync with the theme we are working on. It creates the perfect environment and stimulates the thought process,8221; he says. These days, the studio, which opens on to a sun-lit terrace, houses an elephant sculpture and the fossil of a buffalo8217;s head. 8220;We are working on a documentary on elephants in Chattisgarh,8221; says the filmmaker.
Pandey has been sharing the studio with his son, a graphic designer, for a decade now. 8220;It is so cozy that I don8217;t feel the need for a bigger space. The equipment is quite compact and there is enough room for production work. It took me six years to shape it the way itnbsp;is today,8221; he says.
Though he frequently does outdoor shoots, Pandey remains attachednbsp;to hisnbsp;studio. 8220;I always have most of my equipment on me when I travel. So practically, I carry half my workplace with me,8221; he says.
