Bondhu

It’s a pleasant surprise when you receive an unusual and coveted gift from your spouse. I call this unusual because these days no one gifts another a book during occasions like birthdays and even otherwise which was quite in prevalence around three decades back. Yes, the unusual gift that came my way recently was a book titled ‘Bondhu’ written by Dr. Kunal Sen on his dad, the eminent Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen. If I remember correctly, this is only the second book my wife has purchased for me in these two decades, the first one being Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist.

This is the first book written by KS. A debutante author is generally a good read by a reader far from voracious in devouring books. Written in an unpretentious style the book is on the life of the legendary director, the people and the events that have had an overarching influence on the master filmmaker MS. This isn’t a biography though but a rather insightful look with interesting stories interweaved from the life of the director and his family that provides a peep into the film industry as well as the real man behind the legend. There’s a certain frankness in the narration that balances the strengths and the weaknesses of the doyen of Indian cinema giving the reader a composite view of the man who has given us arguably the most hard-hitting films Indian cinema has ever seen till date.

The author briefly discusses the films of MS and focuses more on bringing out the essence of the man, his humanity and his political views, the struggles accolades and disappointments that never really left him all through his life. Some of the tales narrated are really fascinating and revelatory. The event leading the author to christen his father as ‘bondhu’ (a friend in Bengali), the deep division in the Bengali film industry in the seventies on political lines, and the story of the friend of the cinematographer Sailaja Chatterjee who was reduced to driving a cab in Calcutta after participating in the freedom struggle and had a huge booty in his custody after looting the British yet kept at bay any desire to make its use despite a life of penury. The reason why the relationship with the musical maestro the legendary Ravi Shankar probably rankled makes for interesting reading. The faulty Hindi usage of the director (the Bengali ‘ghoom’ I.e., sleep being used for the Hindi ‘ghoomney’ I.e, to go out) leading to a situational confusion manages to evoke laughter.

The chapter on ‘The Crew’ where the author focuses on the well-known and the lesser known technicians and supporting crew members is a fine tribute to those who work behind the camera. The depiction of how a welcome trait like perfection can often become a disadvantage for a cinematographer of the caliber of the famous Subrata Mitra is brilliant.

What I found wanting in the book was the absence of any discussion/mention on the documentaries made by MS. How did Mrinal Sen feel when he received some of the prestigious honor that came his way? What kind of preservation and restoration work can be taken to salvage his works, already in a state of neglect?These are minor aspects that seem to have been overlooked in a 188-page book that delights the reader with its humor and the many essentially human stories associated with the life of an uncompromising director.

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

Best books on filmmaking

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Read the 20 Best Books on Filmmaking for 2020
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What are the best books on filmmaking? Let’s find out together.
The best way to learn about filmmaking is to do it. There is nothing else that can teach you as much. But in between projects, it’s okay to read too.

Reading books about the craft can open you up to new points of view and experiences on different kinds of projects. Plus, there’s just something about a good book. It’s the smell, the turning of the pages, and just the visceral sense of holding knowledge in your hands.

Either way, I wanted to set 2020 up for success by recommending the twenty best books on filmmaking for you to check out this year.

Let the pages turn…

Read the 20 Best Books on Filmmaking for 2020
This is my list and I’m always looking to add. If you think there’s something that belongs more than anything else, tell me in the comments. There’s nothing I left off on purpose, so have my back and give me a reminder!

Now let’s dive into the list!

1. Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
Let’s start the list with something that says it all. You want to be a filmmaker? how about an entire book on filmmaking? Lumet’s lessons probably apply to television as well, as does most of his practical advice. If you’re going to read a book, read one by someone who did it over seven decades and accumulated the most lessons.

2. Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez
The purpose of this website is to teach you how to do it yourself and this book perfectly embodies that as well. I want to see you make something in 2020. This book can guide you with how to do it even if you don’t have anyone to crew up.

3. Shooting to Kill by Christine Vachon
Producing is an all-encompassing term. This is one of my favorite books on the list because it takes you through what a producer actually does on each sized film. It also gives a clear structure of how someone moved up in the ranks to become a creator that works with other creators.

4. Hitchcock by Truffaut
This tete a tete has two of the greatest directors of all time chatting openly about their movies, style, substance, actors, and just the process. It’s a revealing look at the master of suspense and the way his mind works.

5. Kazan on Directing by Elia Kazan
I was gifted this book by Mickey Rourke after working with him on a movie that never happened. It holds a special place in my heart for that reason and for the stories Kazan tells on each page. Kazan was a controversial person in history but this shows why his craft transcended that and became timeless.

6. Master Shots Vol 1, 2, 3 by Christopher Kenworthy
Truth be told, I am not the best shooter. But when I work with a DP I find this book very useful at upholding my end of the conversation. This is where you can learn the lingo and shots you can try on your own.

7. In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch
Editors are often the unsung heroes of the film. Walter Murch is one of the greatest editors of all time, so it’s nice to hear Hollywood from his point of view. He details every step he’s taken plus strategies he uses to control the edit. It’s helped me learn to speak with editors and to trust them.

8. On Directing Film by David Mamet
A lot of directors have written about directing, but I love Mamet’s point of view because he comes at it as a writer. Also, his theater days give him an uncanny ability to communicate how to deal with actors.

9. Hello, He Lied by Lynda Obst
I love a good book written by an executive. This point of view is rarely shared, so it’s nice to see what people on the other side of the table look for in projects. Also, as the title suggests, it confronts the lies told back and forth that get a project going.

10. Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman
While I tried to avoid screenplay books here, I did want to mention this masterful autobiography. Goldman is one of our greatest storytellers and he weaves an excellent tale detailing how it all happens. He doesn’t shelter you from the ups and downs.

11. Something like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa
We often spend so much time focusing on the Hollywood perspective that we forget other directors out there doing amazing things. Kurosawa’s autobiography lets you into the master’s mind. You can see the decisions he made, how painting influences him, and why and how he left an indelible mark on filmmaking.

12. Film Lighting: Talks with Hollywood’s Cinematographers and Gaffers by Kris Malkiewicz
Again, I’m not the best with this stuff, so I love reading and getting better. This book has the nuts and bolts of what goes into creating the looks of your favorite films but also stories of how challenges were overcome on set. It’s a problem solver’s dream.

13. The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers by Thomas Crowell
Turns out, there are lots of legal forms that go into making a movie. Here’s a lawyer’s handbook so you know just what you can and cannot do on set. It’s really useful if you’re shooting without permits and if you need to save money.

14. Cinematography: Theory and Practice, Second Edition: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors by Blain Brown
This is a great book to tell you WHY people shoot the way you do. If you want to analyze a film or just convey a message to an audience, this book can guide you through the harder task of choosing your shots for your projects.

15. Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film Directors by Peter Bogdanovich
Why learn from one director when you can hear from dozens? Bogdonovich is spectacular as an interviewer and interviewee. He talks to some of the greatest directors of all time and you glean all the wisdom.

16. Shaking The Money Tree, 2nd Edition: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Video by Morrie Warshawski
You can’t make a movie or short without money. So where does it come from? This book takes you through the best methods when it comes to gathering the cash you need. I love the practical ways it dictates and the ways it offers to help you find grants to maximize your income.

17. The Reel Truth: Everything You Didn’t Know You Need to Know About Making an Independent Film by Reed Martin
There are lots of things that go into making an independent movie. It’s not just money but personalities and structure. Also, so many books focus on Hollywood insiders that this one really shows what it would be like for YOU to make a movie.

18. Filmmaking For Dummies by Bryan Michael Stoller
Look, the “Dummies” series gets a lot of flack but they are so good at breaking down EVERYTHING. Think of this as a 101 course that gives a general understanding of everything. I like to give this one as a gift when people ask what I do for a living. My mom loved it.

19. The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice by Ken Dancyger
When I undertake creating something, I like to delve into every job on set. I want to know why certain choices are made, and I need to be able to fill every role if the budget is small. This book really taught me so much about editing. I learned much better communication with the people I work with as well.

20. The Complete Film Production Handbook by Eve Light Honthaner
I get caught so much in the writer’s chair that I forget there’s a world outside of screenplays. If you’re new to Hollywood or aspiring to visit and work here, this book gives you all the details on the how and why of every job in town. It walks you through the titles and why they matter.

What’s next? The best books on screenwriting!
There are so many books on screenwriting out there and so few of them actually matter. If you want to read about the industry and the way to craft stories, you want to read the best advice out there.

Check out our list!

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TOKYO CANCELLED

I am currently reading the book TOKYO CANCELLED by Rana Dasgupta. This is his debut novel and from the comments on the cover of the book I discovered that the book has been praised widely, while RD have been likened to a Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jonathan Safran Foer, masters who can hold the real and the surreal in satisfying equilibrium. This is quite an extra-ordinary feat achieved by such a young writer…

While reading the book two films that I have viewed over the years came to my mind. The first is the Bengali film KHAAD (D:- Kaushik Ganguly) where a group of stranded passengers recount tales from their lives, something that is also central to the narrative of TOKYO CANCELLED. The second is the Christopher Nolan film INCEPTION where there is interplay of dreams and reality and how mind reading can be put to work and profit, something that also appears in the RD book; especially in the second story THE MEMORY EDITOR…Watch this space for more as I progress with this book J

 

Indian art cinema

indian_cinema_1977-78

Suchitra Sen by Shoma Chaterji

Manik and I

The book is a result of the diary maintained by the wife of the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray for over four decades. A 600 page book can be quite daunting but what makes it engaging is the easy style of the author. This is quite a personalized account.

The initial 100 pages or so dwell on the family background, the bloosoming of a romantic relationship between the author and her close relation who became her husband and was destined to become India’s most famous filmmaker internationally. This segment also recount their travel throughout Europe and how Satyajit Ray gave up a stable career in advertising to concentrate on his passion – filmmaking.

Unless you’re a big Ray devotee and willing to lap up every titbits on the lives and the happenings in the illustrious Ray family, the book can be rather uninteresting for a more serious film buff. For example, there is no mention of what Ray thought of other filmmakers except a passing reference to Ritwik Ghatak’s brilliance on the occasion of passing away of Ghatak . We do know that Ray wrote a book OUR FILMS THEIR FILMS wherein he discusses that the book in question eschews that totally.

The book is littered with effusive praises showered on her husband barring a single mention of a relationship Ray had with a well-known actress which left the author deeply scarred.
One can discover several interesting facts though – that Ray once contemplated to make a film based on the childhood of Mozart, that once renowned director Buddhadeb Dasgupta turned his 15-minute interview session with Ray into an affair lasting more than three hours and which eventually caused Ray a heart attack ….

What comes through the pages was that Ray was quite a family man who loved his wife and son and during his last days his grandson dearly. He travelled extensively across the globe attending film festivals and receiving honors galore from various foreign universities.

It is also amazing to read that India’s most famous filmmaker didn’t have enough money to buy a house for himself and his family. Ray suffered greatly during his last few years on account of his failing health.

The last few pages are quite touching especially where Ray on realization that he would be gone and unable to find strength to converse kisses his son Sandip affectionately – a muted expression of farewell from his loved ones.

Overall one does get a glimpse into the life of the celebrated filmmaker and his artistic celluloid journey.

Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Childhood days

I am unsure as to why the book has been titled as Childhood days. In fact, there are two aspects in the book   the first of course relates to the childhood days of the filmmaker which is roughly about 80 pages. One gets a glimpse of the curious mind of the remarkably talented personality through the narration, albeit a tad heavy on the personal details some of which is quite uninteresting to a lay reader. The second part which tells about the experiences of the filmmaker is quite informative for a film buff and outlines the pains and hardship entailed in the filmmaking process.

The second part is about 85-90 pages. The film experiences that have been mentioned are the films which involved ‘outdoor shooting’ mostly, and ‘Pather Panchali’ (shot in Boral, a village near Kolkata), ‘Goopy Gane Bagha Byne’ & ‘Sonar Kella’ (Jaiselmer) & “Joy Baba Felunath” & “Aparajito’ (Varanasi) gets highlighted. Just to shoot a particular shot often takes days for a filmmaker – an 8-10 hours of grueling shooting in a day can result in just 3 minutes of screen time. Isn’t that incredulous?

The redeeming feature of the book is obviously the details about the lesser known actors like Kamu Mukherjee who had a great sense of humor, actors and technicians who have been associated with Ray for a long period. How Ray tackled royalty (like the Maharaja of Jodhpur) or the swelling crowds, how often to shoot a particular sequence Ray had to wait for a year (like the train sequence in Pather Panchali), how he improvised on sequences like in ‘Goopy Gayne Bagha Byne’ where in a particular sequence Goopy & Bagha were transported from a snowy land(Shimla) to a desert(Jaiselmer) which Ray filmed in a reverse mode with Goopy & Bagha actually falling from a tree and when played in reverse it appeared they jumped up and landed on a tree finds its way into the book. Noted cinematographer Subrata Mitra innovated bounce lighting during the shooting of Ray’s APARAJITO.

The second part deserves a 4-pointer, the first a two out of five.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Encyclopedia of Indian cinema

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