Best Cinematography
Onto a major award for the evening!
Cinematographers are magicians, they are the WORK WIVES of the director and execute his vision to its utmost best.
Being one of the major awards of the season, let's take a look at former winners and how this stacks up for the nominees today...
Nikos Andritsakis for Ugly, 2015: The previous winner is already a juggernaut of a cinematographer, being a fine winner and a nominee this year once more. Can he pull of a 'Chivo'?
Ajay Bahl for B.A. Pass, 2014: A surprise win among surprise nominees, Bahl's work showed an understanding for the dry base of the film, its erotic nature and also the neon infused noir elements of Old Delhi.
Nikos Andritsakis for Shanghai, 2013: Another win from Nikos, only slightly beating out the works of Setu [Kahaani] and Ravi Verman [Barfi!].
Carlos Catalan for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2012: Not resting on his laurels of a beautiful location, Catalan kills it by bringing a profound catharsis to the world the characters inhabit.
Nikos Andritsakis for Love Sex aur Dhokha, 2011: Nikos's first win of three, his first collaboration with Dibakar Banerjee that bore fruit.
Rajeev Ravi for Dev D, 2010: The first cinematography winner, Rajeev Ravi returns to the fore front this year.
An interesting thing is that Andritsakis is in a pattern of winning an award once every year. Anyways onto the nominees for the HIndie Award for Best Cinematography...
Sudeep Chatterjee for Bajirao Mastani
If there's anyone that can capture the grand scale with which Bhansali visualizes his opulence on then it's Sudeep Chatterjee. Chatterjee is allowed to play quite a bit out of the box, the war sequences bridged between the film are shot with an elegance and yet present a grit.
He of course understands how to compose some intense romantic scenes, it's second nature for Chatterjee. His frames evoke a passion but also a pain, in a way; avoiding flash techniques to reign down Bhansali's grandeur and really setting his actors up to steal the show.
Chatterjee leaves his signature mark in a world that is inhabited and lived by his director, which is no mean feat but adds that extra punch to the world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Anil Mehta for Badlapur
It is amazing how Anil Mehta manages to reinvent himself again and again.
Last year he struck gold with his toughest work [Highway] and a road trip quite different [Finding Fanny]. This year he takes on the challenge of creating a mood from his cinematography in capturing the dark recesses of the minds of his two characters and the real harsh world they live in. In a nutshell; a Neo-Noir.
One of the key moments of the film is the haunting rendition of 'Jeena Jeena' as a heartbroken weary Raghav [Dhawan] dances alone in the haunt he has kept of his lost family. In this moment Mehta becomes something more, he probes into the psyche of the protagonist and extracts a plethora of profound emotions that unbearable make on weep. Just look at the dust on the objects, dank lighting and shadows; all of this makes the pain alive.
No wonder then that cinematographers are magicians.
Nikos Andritsakis for Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
[We've already looked at his great winning streak, so we wont go into again]
Andritsakis has a knack for understanding and expressing character especially with his use of lighting. Set in a period film with a noir sensibility, DBB employs a lot of shadows and the camera work frame intriguing spaces. Nikos probes brilliantly into the mind of Byomkesh creating an intriguing scope for the character to evolve into.
Bolstered by a complex world; Nikos establishes and builds a mood that keeps you entrapped in the mystery despite how predictable it is. It is hypnotic to watch each frame develop of the film, with some nifty camera work to boot.
Rajeev Ravi for Bombay Velvet
Rajeev Ravi filters his lens in a sepia tone, giving the film its period film. It's subtle but effective, yet he never rests on his laurels. There's always a difference to the visuals Kashyap produces and like a game partner, he evolves himself into his second hand.
Ravi makes the old age world of Bombay alive, his film if it can be said has that Jazz feel of it, a Velvet silkiness to it. Hard to describe.
At its most intense [and I hate going back to this, because the film is more than one scene] scene; as Johnny Balraj [Kapoor] takes the fight to the villain Khambatta [Johar] with a machine gun. Rajeev Ravi along with Amit Trivedi sparks the film to life.
It takes Rajeev Ravi to truly uplift Kashyap's grittier and grungier visions into an opulent grand intense adventure.
Avinash Arun for Masaan
Is he a minnow among big fish, or a shark ready to rip through them?
Well, he's Avinash Arun, on the back of his finest year. The young upstart brings a lyrical beauty to not just the ghat's of Banaras but also innocent romance and emotional catharsis. In one of the most iconic shots of the film; in an indication of their step forward to be together, Deepak and Shalu each release a balloon into the air from the crowded fair.
Arun's camera lingers on those two balloons, it's a shot that signifies romance in a way never before seen. Avinash understands these complex moments of human emotion and philosophical ruminations on life, his camera does the work; like a magician he effortlessly waves his wand.
And the Winner is...
Avinash Arun for Masaan!
Capping of a phenomenal year in style, Avinash Arun picks up a second trophy; once more for his cinematography which is breathtaking to say the least.
This moves us to a new section of awards; while there's an ensemble involved, it's more about the breakthrough's...
Up Next: Which team of actors truly encompass the word team work, putting behind their star wattage to be true blue actors...HIndie Award for Best Ensemble Cast!
'Nuff Said
Aneesh
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