Forever Young - Ranjan Palit & Sound for Documentaries

Last Sunday as I was surfing through TV channels I happened to see on a ticker that Documentary 24x7 on NDTV will show Ranjan Palit's film - Forever Young.

Now during my days in Jamia's Mass Communication Centre, one of my faculty members had told the class that how Ranjan Palit is one of the best or probably the best documentary cinematographers of India. She said: "he almost dances with the camera" -

I was hardly impressed with that statement of hers. Later she showed us a clip from one of his works and that too didnt leave an impression on me. I thought there was nothing so extra-ordinary about the visuals, which our teacher was trying to point out to.

So then, with this in mind, I started watching Forever Young. Its a documentary about probably India's biggest Bob Dylan Fan - Mr. Lou Majaw, who resides in Shillong. From what I am told, Ranjan sir himself is a huge Bob Dylan fan. The camera in the documentary follows this guy to his concerts, performances, his life, his home and to his fans.

There is a moment in the documentary when the girls from St. Mary's school in Shillong are so excited to be at the performance that while he is singing, like every concert they too join by an impromptu dance steps. Now here is where i saw two superbly executed shots - where "the camera almost danced with them - step to step". It was amazing to see, my teacher was right.

Absolutely on target, even while the camera danced - it was so stable, the framing, the idea behind doing that - amazing. i felt that i was Enlightened.

Cut To
2 DAYS LATER

I was with Mr. Vikram Joglekar (Location Sound for Road, Movie). I casually referred to him about this documentary and Mr. Ranjan Palit and out came a box of surprises. Vikram had stayed at Ranjan Palit's place at Yari Road for a year. He too repeated the same words, what my teacher had told the class about Mr. Palit being the best camera for documentary. Vikram stressed that how everything happens so impromptu when he comes on location. the lighting, the framing, the movements - everything.
Quite an artist - i must say!

Vikram told me an interesting thought. The Sound for documentary is so much important compared to fiction. In Fiction films, the concentration is on Visuals. "Sound Post mei FIX kar denge" - is the usual remark you will hear from people on Sets.

But for a documentary - if Lou Majaw is performing for students in their school - then that sound has to be recorded then and there itself, in the best possible quality, you cant ask those guys to perform for you again. It wont have the same effect, the same quality, the same ambiance.

Thus, the sound and visual go together when it comes to a documentary whereas in Fiction - "Fix it in Post" is the attitude.

Thankfully, on "Road, Movie" - not a single shot went without the call of "Sound rolling". It surely was a great learning experience.

As for Mr. Ranjan Palit - I have got your filmography. Next few months, will go in sourcing some of them.

More posts on you will follow.

A year after post graduation.

12 months, 13 destinations. 3 films and unlimited journeys.

Sounds like a movie title. Yes of course, last year has been like a roller coaster ride. From running errands, walking incessantly, clicking the camera, writing and learning on the screenwriter to managing 3 films – one student, one commercial and one independent.
If that journey is not enough than the physical journeys have made up for them.

May - Sometime around last May, it started with picking up my bags and going to the ISBT bus depot in Delhi. Got a bus for Haridwar and reached at the ghats at around 1 am.

Ek baat sach bolte hain, Ganga maiyya ki kasam - Agar Ganga maiyya ke darshan karne ho – toh sabse best time hai raat 2 se subah 4 ke beech. It’s amazing to sit on the steps of those ghats with your feet immersed in the cold rushing water at midnight. There is hardly a soul around. Maybe one of those junky babas who is one of the “Raat ka Musafirs”. The lights, the water, the flow, and the night – it all adds up to the charm. You feel blessed for that moment. Exchange this scene with day time and am sure half of us would want to run away seeing the public urinal that the river gets converted into.

June – I have never had a wonderful friend who also happens to be the faculty of Jamia. From staying over at his place at weekends, to watching cricket matches with him and now in june – he asked me to join for a trip to Allahbad. In the heat of June, he got behind the Santro steering and I besides him. Some journey it is to get through the heartland of UP to reach to Allahbad. Again happened to meet the river, although she was in a different state of mind here, as compared to what she was in Haridwar. Yamuna meets Ganga here. Went to the Kumbh Mela grounds. The worst part - the whole trip to and fro from Allahbaad was without my wallet. I forgot it at his place on the morning we started.

July – Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai: Shuffled between editing, vivas and meeting the new film crew.

August – September – Jaisalmer. Couldn’t believe seeing what a movie shoot looks like. On the first day of shoot, 18th Aug – I saw some 25 to 30 vehicles, around 120 people – all of it breaking the morning silence of a sleepy Rajasthan barren land called Khaba. Entering the tent, I made a remark to one of my colleagues – “Socha na tha”. And out came Abhay from his vanity. One of my remarks caught me off guard in front of director Dev Benegal and bas phir toh kheench-taani ka silsila shuru ho gaya…” September end also saw the shoot of Road, Movie going to Jodhpur.

October – ICU of a Hospital. Criti Care. Andheri West. All 2 years of Delhi’s bahar ka khana showed its true colors. Add to it the heat of Rajasthan for 2 months. It had to be hospital.

November – Baroda-Mumbai: took some “forcible” rest at home and joined back on the film on post-production.

December – Kutch, Gujarat. The most amazing landscape that I have seen after the Srinagar-Leh route. Road, Movie continues.

January-Feb-March – Mumbai, Mumbai, Mumbai. The Edit starts and so does my running around. The post-production is where you get the maximum time with the director. Never miss that.

April – Pune, Kolkata, Gangtok, Nathu-la (almost). Was just 10kms away, when the landslide happened and the weather got worse from bad. But alas, the journey was satisfying. China kisi aur din jaake aayenge. Unko jaake kahenge, boss yeh Arunachal toh chhodo. Tibet ki toh tum vaat lagaa chukke ho…

The last year – well, its been a Road, Movie for sure

“chal toh tu pada hai, faasla bada hai…!”
Dekh andhere ke sar pe khoon chadda hai…” Rahul Ram – you are too good in this song


copyrights for the photo: hardik mehta