he was sitting up there holding the light...

Last year, I had been an Assistant Director for a bollywood comedy flick. It was this huge affair with a lineup of big names. However, my main intention was to observe the manner and attitude of making films in mainstream Indian pictures. I was fresh out of NYFA and suddenly plunged into this chaotic world and I planned to document the shoot with my old companion, my still-camera. Though I had taken her along every day, it was only during the seldom moments of calm I could take some snaps. To give an idea of the hectic nature of a single one month schedule (there were 3 totally), I lost 9 kilograms during one. And ofcourse that's what I've always loved about the production stage. I had only managed to use two rolls, both color transparencies and this is from one of them. But it is a survivor of a catastrophe.

Once the shoot had concluded, I gave the rolls for processing in the city where we were at the time. I went to pick it up and they hand me a single narrow plactic box, impossible to fit even 15 shots, let alone all 72. I opened it with dreading fingers as though it was some miniature casket and almost did a Ralph Fiennes from the end of English Patient. There were only ten. As it may be evident from the other pictures I've posted, I prefer darker tones and expose to get them. These (now control yourself, Vikram. These folks online don't want to read two paras of you cursing) 'guys' at the photo studio had thrown away the rest of my babies because they thought they were too dark to make good pictures. I simply walked out without a word, incapacitated with grief.

This picture was taken while we shooting the climax, a wedding. The house was dressed with wide saffron ribbons and strings of flowers hanging from the walls, and I saw this chap sitting on this platform, that can be built from a pile of metal pipes and wooden planks in a matter of 5-10 minutes. He was waiting for the order to switch on the light before the shot was to be taken.