Interview with Award Winning Indian Cinematographer Rajeev Jain ICS by Jude Ibinge

Interview with Award Winning Indianthere. Location surveys therefore are very
Cinematographer Rajeev Jain ICS by Jude Ibingeimportant, and if they don't work for light they
Jude Ibinge is co-editor of Senses of Cinema'sare rejected. She didn't want the film to look
Special Issue, film reviewer for The Melbournegrainy, gritty and 'low rent', so my job was to
Times and ABC Radio, 774 Melbourne, and anever have the negative too under or over
freelance writer on film. Rajiv Jain is one of India'sexposed either. JI: How do you think the new
leading cinematographers. He shot his first featureadvances in digital technology will have an impact
Army in 1996 and his subsequent list of featureon feature filmmaking? RJ: I work with digital post
film credits include Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, Badhaaiall the time now in commeJIials and find it
Ho Badhaai, Kadachit, Meerabai Not Out, Aiyyofascinating. I think digital cameras and projection
Paji, Rasstar, Kalpvriksh and most recently Carryhave a long way to go to be as good as 35mm
on Pandu. The KFI-nominated cinematographerfilm. At the moment they serve to make it
talks to Jude Ibinge about the long hours andcheaper for someone to make a film that they
many satisfactions of working behind the cameraotherwise couldn't afford, but the quality I don't
in his increasingly high profile career. Jude Ibinge:think is comparable. One day it will be, and then I'll
You have said in an earlier interview thatuse it. JI: You've said that the main influences on
“from the time I left drama school I knew Iyour work have been European cinematographers.
wanted to work with cinema cameras”. HowWho in particular do you admire and what are
did this interest develop and how and where didsome favourite films? RJ: My favourite DP's have
you get your start in the film industry? Rajiv Jain:been Robby Müller, Darius Khonji, Darius Wolsky
I had always loved going to the movies; I find it isand Stuart Dryburgh. My favourite films range
like entering a dream, being in that dark cinemafrom Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola,
and watching a story told in images on the big1979), The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980), My
screen. I started in the film industry when I wasLife as a Dog (Lasse Hallström, 1985), Cinema
21. Late KK Mahajan, gave me a few contacts. IParadiso (Guiseppe Tornatore, 1988), The Piano
rang many times until one of them gave me a(Jane Campion, 1993), The Women (George
job as a runner on a feature film. Then I pesteredCukor, 1939) and Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet,
people in the camera department and worked for2001). JI: Of all the films you have shot, which do
nothing on a few documentaries and music videos.you think represents your best work? RJ: I think
Then, as a clapper loader on some featuresthey are all different, but I suppose it would be
followed by a focus puller. I was shooting TVKalpvriksh because it was my biggest challenge. JI:
commeJIials, short films and small docos andYou have worked on TVCs, shorts, docos,
music videos with people such as late Mukul Snon-features and features. Is there any genre
Anand at the same time. Then, I shot my firstform that has particular appeal and how do you
feature film when I was 28, Army JI: In reviewschoose what projects to work on, i.e., what
of films you have worked on, yourattracts you to a script? RJ: I only shoot features
cinematography is regularly singled out as aand commeJIials now. I read a lot of scripts and
distinctive element, but the look of the filmswill only shoot feature films if I enjoy the story
varies widely, from the pastel colours of theand like the director, or find them interesting. JI:
Mumbai setting in Chandrakant Kulkarni's Carry onYou have worked with director Manika Sharma on
Pandu to the cool, blue tones of Manika Sharma'sa number of projects. Is that sort of continuity
Kalpvriksh - The Wish Tree. How much input dowith directors important? RJ: It makes it easier to
you have personally, when determining the overallbe on a project with someone you have already
look of the film, and is this very much dependentworked with, but I also enjoy being with new
on the director you are working with? RJ: I willpeople too, because you are always learning new
spend a lot of time in pre-production with theapproaches to filmmaking, and creative
director finding out how they see the story incollaboration. JI: You have two young daughters,
visual terms, including the atmosphere andhas it been difficult juggling the demands of a
emotion each scene is trying to convey. Then,career in the film industry? RJ: I work pretty
with the production designer, we will all look atmuch every week, and long hours. I think the
references of different types, such as, films,hardest thing is that all my spare time I try and
photos, paintings and the locations themselves, tospend with them so being able to have time on
create a look that is right for that film. Someyour own is rare. JI: Indian cinematographers have
directors know before you start that process,an increasing international profile, with the likes of
exactly how they see it; for others, it is aAshok Mehta, Binod Pradhan and Santosh Sivan
process of finding out what the particular look isthese days. Do you think Indian cinematographers
for that film. JI: The landscape, whether urbanhave a particular approach, aesthetic or way of
suburban or rural, seems to be a strong elementworking that distinguishes them in an international
in your cinematography and you seem to have acontext? RJ: I think we are generally easy going
particular affinity with the sort of decaying, smalland get along with people. We are also hard
town milieus featured in Kadachit. Are youworkers and have been trained on lower budgets
consciously attracted to projects in which thegenerally, so you tend to know how to work fast.
landscape figures as a central element? RJ: No, IJI: You recently completed work on your first
am attracted to a project if I like the script andDubai feature, Rahman for Dubai production
the director. JI: Wanuri Kahiu's Rasstar offered acompany. Can you tell us about that shoot? Other
different sort of challenge, given the film wasthan the scale of the production, were there
predominantly shot in natural light. Can younoticeable differences between working conditions
describe your approach in working on that film?in India and Dubai? RJ: It was different because it
RJ: It was a fantastic experience, and a bigwas a much bigger budget than I have had on a
challenge. To shoot a film with natural light ismovie so far. The crews work slightly differently
harder than lighting because you have less control.and the pressure is more intense, mainly because
Wanuri Kahiu has a very particular style and waythere were five producers to answer to, instead
of making a film that is based on naturalof one. JI: Are there many Indian
performances and the environment that you arecinematographers working on feature films in the
working in. The actors, she wants to feel, can beUAE? RJ: There are a handful, but hardly any on
in a room for example that is the least bitbig studio films. JI: What are you working on
cluttered with equipment, and each location isnext? RJ: Besides commeJIials, I am shooting
chosen for the atmosphere that already existsManika Sharma's next film in India next year.