Over the last two decades, cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee has lensed some of the most breathtaking films to have come out of India. Known for his frequent collaborations with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ranging from Bajirao Mastani (for which he won a National Award), Sudeep is a master when it comes to captivating visual swings, always in full harmony with the director’s style. (Also read: Exclusive interview | Anik Dutta on Aparajito winning 2 National Awards: ‘One would not be overjoyed…’)
In this exclusive interview after being appointed as New Cinema EOS Ambassador for Canon, the ace cinematographer spoke about his creative choices, growing up in a Bengali household in Kolkata, having concerns with Dhoom 3, and his deep love for still photography. Excerpts.
So much of your work is completely in sync with the vision of the director. Where does your creative process begin from the script stage?
Even before reading the script, I first think of the film when I get a call from the director and we meet. When he tells me about the film. It is not a narration, but an introduction where you get a very strong idea about what kind of film he wants to make. That becomes a very strong core to fall back upon. Because initially there are certain things he stresses upon, which become a guideline for me. Eventually I rely a lot on that interaction with that director because it is very important that I bring his vision to life.
Then the next stage is reading the script. This is where I almost see the film… almost like when I read a book I see images. That I share with the director and then we jointly arrive at what the look of what the film should be.
Tell me a little bit about your early years in Kolkata growing up, and some of your influences, the films and cinematographers that left a lasting impact on you.
I grew up in Kolkata and my father was a Government officer but he was also part of a theatre group called Chetona. Not as an actor, but he would be in the management of that group and the director Arun Mukherjee was a very dear friend. Theatre is something that I have seen a lot growing up. Baba also made sure that we get to experience everything else that would be happening in the city. There would be theatres, concerts and conferences where we would travel. There was no television, so we also had a lot of books and we were members of the libraries from where we would get the supplies, and there would be storytelling grandparents! I personally used to get restless and bored very easily, so someone had to tell me stories. The regular folktales, tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata, stories of the family, scandals, all kinds of stuff!
I didn’t realize it then, but I was very deeply attracted to stories. That formed a base. My father was also mindful of the kind of cinema that we were watching. He didn’t encourage us to watch, what he used to call the ‘lade lappa’ Hindi films (laughs)! He would take us to films he thought was appropriate, otherwise he would show us good Bengali films, lot of English films… but that was monitored, and said that unless you pass Class X, you are not going to watch films. We used to manage and I remember having watched Satte pe Satta when I was in Class VII in a theatre in Gaya. This was something that I shared with Mr Bachchan when I worked with him (smiles)!
Then I was put in an Engineering College to become an engineer! It took me some 7-8 months to realize that I would make a really bad engineer. I ran away from there and was very scared to confront my joint family because it was unthinkable. So I went to my father’s office and convinced him. He asked me what was it that I enjoyed doing and I thought the thing that I enjoy the most was taking pictures. Photography was something that I really enjoyed doing. My brother who was also going through a similar search, discovered that there is something called Film and Television Institute of India, and got there in the first chance. He is presently the Head of Film Direction Department, Sandip Chatterjee. I realized that there was a cinematography course and by that time had developed a deep interest in cinema, and luckily I got there in the first chance! That’s it, wow that is a lot of talking (smiles).
I remember watching Chotuskone, which is a film that you shot. I remember looking for the name of the cinematographer right afterwards because I was so taken aback by those frames, how it combined so many elements. Tell me the experience of shooting that film.
I had just finished Dhoom 3 which was a big budget film. There were questions I had with the narrative of the film, which used to bother me. I was kind of told that it was not important because it is Dhoom, and people do not watch it for logic. When the film released it did very well but I don’t think it got a lot of love. I was disappointed with the kind of appreciation the film was getting because I had put in a lot of hardwork, and I had to give up a Bhansali film in the mix. I could not do Ram Leela because the shoot kept getting extended. So I was a little disappointed with my hard work not getting loved.
I had gone to Kolkata and Srijit [Mukerji], who was a friend, had come and was telling me about this film. I wanted him to tell me more because I loved the script. He was like what’s the point because you will not do it! I was like no, I could! My next commitment was Neeraj Panday’s Baby and prep for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani. So I said I would speak to Sanjay and push my recce a little so I think I can manage to do it! That’s how it happened. We took around 20-22 days to shoot Chotuskone, if I remember correctly.
What was challenging for me was that this was a ₹1 crore film, so from a ₹150 crore film to a ₹1 crore film it was a challenge for me to see if I can take up the task and shoot like that. I wanted to see if I still have it in me, because that’s where I come from. Going back to the way Chotuskone is shot, it is me. That’s the original me. I have to gear myself up to shoot a Bhansali film or a Dhoom or a Chandu Champion, but my core is very Chotuskone, and it was exciting for me to get back there in Kolkata and do that film. It is very dear to me.
When do you come to realize that a shot you have taken ‘works’? That it is final. Do you count that or do you shoot a lot of time and then come back…
Both happens. Sometimes you get the shot and you know it instantly. The director and you will look at each other and there will be a nod. That you got it. I kind of analyze every scene from the perspective of what would happen if I take the scene out of the movie. That kind of answers as to what that scene is contributing. You note down that this scene is trying to achieve this emotion. So, that kind of becomes the marker for me. There are, in the timeline of that scene, will be certain points where I know that okay that’s the moment I need to get. Often you get it, sometimes it is a discovery in the edit and sometimes that it is so complex that I have ignored the screenplay part so then you focus and switch off as a cinematographer. So it depends.
Another sequence is from Gangubai Kathiawadi, where in an early scene from the song Jhoome Re Gori. The camera follows Alia Bhatt, glides in with her and then again zooms out. Tell me about that day on set.
That’s 5 days of rehearsals! I had to understand the details about Garba… how it moves. The most complicated thing was to get inside the circles and I had to really understand the movements. That was five days of rehearsing and memorizing the choreography. There were 3 people who were moving: the steady cam operator, my assistant who was running with a Chinese lantern to light Alia [Bhatt]’s face and the light was on a fader, and I had to run along with it to control the intensity of that light… it was practice and observation.
When you are not a cinematographer how does your day look like?
If I am on an outdoor shoot, I definitely take my still camera and I go out to shoot. It is something that I have been doing, particularly when I am abroad. These days when I go for a schedule I make sure that once the shoot is over, I stay back for a week, in a city, just to take some pictures. This is something that I have been doing seriously. Where I am not bound by a script or a story that I have to tell. So you tell your story through your pictures. So it is rewarding for me. Apart from that I listen to a lot of music, and read a lot.
What are you reading now?
Rahul Sankrityayan’s Volga to Ganga. There’s a Bengali translation… it is a fascinating book. I had read it long time back and I’m reading again. I also listen to a lot of music. I have a collection of old vinyl records and I will show you something (opens the side drawer to show a cassette player). It is portable and has also got Bluetooth, so these are the little stuff that are there.
What are your thoughts about collaborating with Canon?
When a company which is manufacturing camera, when they want to collaborate with a photographer/cinematographer, firstly what it so wonderful is the intention. That is a very heartwarming thing, that you are not just selling camera, but you are making an equipment for us to make images with. So I love the idea of the collaboration, that they are reaching out to us and wanting to associate with us, take feedback. This is a platform where you can exchange ideas, so that’s a very ideal situation. It is something very nice about the intention.