Probashi- Cover Story
Probashi- Cover Story
Reminiciences of a Film Fan shut down in front of the camera and would be seized with fright.“ Acting” I reminded Bishnu“ is not easy”
14 September 1996: We are shooting Gudiya, and today the legendary Pran Sahab was on the set, and he left me with a life lesson. The shot had Praan Sahab sitting on a cliff, with a shawl draped across his back contemplating, as he looks out at the sea. The midday sun was up, the HMI lights were on, and it was a rather warm afternoon and all of us were sweating profusely. First shot was taken perfectly. Now the camera angle had to be changed, and the lights reset and the whole procedure would take about 40 minutes. The assistant director requested Pran Sahab to move under the shade as the technicians moved about their equipment. Pran Sahab said“ please go ahead, but I will not move”. A bit flustered the assistant director politely repeated her request. Pran Sahab replied that if he moved from where he was sitting the continuity of the shot would be spoiled. How was he to ensure that he sat exactly on the same place with the same stance, with the shawl draped exactly the same way as in the first scene.“ Can you please arrange for a glass of water” was his only request. The assistant director got the point, and moved away with respect for Pran Sahab raised manifold. Behind every film star is hardwork and dedication.... many hours spent under the blazing sun.
Coordinated by Sudipto Sengupta
Reminiciences of a Film Fan
The adage‘ No one is Indispensable’ does not hold true for cinema. While the film stars, directors, producers, musicians, technicicans, the trade channel, everyone get replaced in the long runis, it is the film fan who remains indispensible. Remove the film fan and the whole industry will fall on its face. But not much is written about the ubiquitous film fan, seldom does he / she get a voice to express his / her passion for cienema.
Prof Deb Kumar Mullick retired as professor of electrical engineering from National Institute of Technology, Durgapur. When not lecturing on circuit theorems, capacitors or transistors in the classroom, Prof Mullick would indulge in his passion for cinema may that be watching films or reading about them. A veritable encylopedia on films, Prof Mullick has many anecdotes on how films generate frenzy amongst film fans.
With Probashi publishing‘ 100
years of Indian Cinema’, I am tempted to recapitulate my association with cinema since I was a school kid. In early fifties. We the children could only see movies carefully screened by elders. Elders were the virtual censor board and that left us with the ususal“ safe films” deemed fit for children like‘ Laurel and Hardy’,‘ Tarzan’;‘ The Mask of ZORO;‘ Joan of Arc’;’ Robin Hood’, etc. Going to the cinema hall for a youngster alone or with friends was a big No No. We were always chaperoned by an elder and a visit to a cinema hall would only materialise on a Sunday. Other than the regular Hollywood fare, I also saw Bengali movies in my school days like‘ Banser Kella’,‘ Rani
Rasmoni’,‘ Debi Chaudhurani’ etc. I distinctly remember on the last day of my High School( X) examination, I was permitted to go to the cinema hall alone to see the film‘ Deep Jele Jai’, to brush off the examination blues. Unfortunately the film had no therapeutic value for an exam fatigued student. The serious mood of the movie, with Suchitra Sen, the undisputed star of those days, in the lead role made me come back with a very heavy heart and the last scene where she comes out of a mental asylum and cries‘ Ami obhinoy korini, ami obhinoy korte parina’ is still deeply engaved in my heart. When I joined Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College( MNREC), Allahabad, for my B. E. studies the era of seeing night shows spread wings. Those days cycle was our means of transportation and we used to hit about 8 KMs one way to reach cinema halls in Civil Lines or at Niranjanj Cinema the only AC Hall in city in 60s. After dinner at 8.00 pm we, 4 to 6 of us used to be out on our cycles for the night show. First year students, sneaking from the make shift hostel at‘ Nepal Kuti’ which was locked by a Chowkidar on duty, was not a very good idea, but the lure of films got better of our sane judgement. The Chaukidar was informed about our outing and suitable incentive given so that he would allow us in when we returned to the hostel after the night show. When we would come back a small