HIndie Awards 2017: Best Costume Design

Best Costume Design

Costuming and fashion are so vital to the show business, that the glam quotient of standard films [those not beholden to a period or milieu] manage to steal the limelight.

I mean how gorgeous was Aishwarya Rai in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, it's not just her looks though but also the way she is presented in all her glory.

Then we have costumes that just don't know what they are doing, not only don't they feel like they don't belong but rather distract and are used in such a silly manner. A prime example being this years funniest film; Mohenjo Daro.

As mentioned last year, costumes are important in film as they act as a second skin for an actor. A layer to allow them the easy passage of going from star/celebrity to character.

So here goes...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

This is another new award added to the season, one which I am not so good at judging; so forgive me.

There isn't much to say here, except hair and makeup is important to give us a visual sense of character even in the simplest of touches.

A prime example of this, is one of the Best Picture nominees; Waiting.

While an absolutely astounding film and deserving of its nomination, considering the situation of the character and the sober surroundings and cast; it is a bit distracting to see Kalki Koechlin's character so dolled up as she is especially when is comes to her makeup and even perfectly touched up hair especially the condition her character is in.

This might seem like a small issue and doesn't overall affect the film or her performance, but it is a point of contention as to why makeup and hairstyling are important in character building situations as they are in making glamorous cinema.

So onto the nominees...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Film Editing

Best Film Editing

In their latest insightful article Indiewire highlights the difference between film, direction and editing when it comes to the movie awards season, it's a hard line to judge as generally the final edit of the film is the very vision of a director and that same vision by default is a film.

Yet apart from external factors to consider when thinking of the differences between an editor, director and the final product, there are also internal matters to solve.

Last years best editor winner Srikar Prasad [Talvar] never once met his director Meghan Gulzar [whom also went onto win best director], this external issue of physical communication would have by any means despite technological advances caused some information between the two to be lost in translation. It's what both gave the film a subjective heart as pontificated by Gulzar's investment in the case and a rather emotionless objectivity in perspective thanks to Prasad's typical sharp cutting.

The internal factor is how far an editor is willing to go to improve the directors work in line with his/her vision.

Editors are storytellers and in that form the editing table is nothing less than another place where the final draft of the story is recreated. They bookend the writers work in perfect form.

Editors are perseveres with an objective perspective on making a film the best it can be, by that definition they don't just cut to reduce time but to refine it within the films structure and bring out the perfect pacing [easier said than done]. They enhance the director's good and promptly snip of the bad.

Editors are observers, they know when to cut and what to cut; this is vital when they deal with actors performances. We might give all the accolades to the brilliance of certain performers and their characters, but it is editors who play behind them to make sure the best is found even amidst the worst. They define the greatness of actors with ease.

So onto the editors that did this and so much more in 2016...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Sound Editing

Best Sound Editing

Sound Editing is the process of selecting and bringing together the sound elements such as Foleys and effects of a film to be processed eventually for mixing.

As with the last award, I will once again point out that sound is by far my weakest of studies as a filmmaker and thus if I do not get this right, do bear with me.

Since this is a new award that I am unsure of, let's get straight to it...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Sound Mixing

Best Sound Mixing

Sound Mixing is basically the practice in the post production of a film, where in the collective types of sounds from the score, to dialogues, music, silence, foley sounds and effects to be merged together through the manipulation of volume, source signal, frequency and panoramic position in order to achieve a flawless and smoothly flowing collective sound to the final picture.

While Sound is probably my weakest side as a filmmaker, I'm trying level best to work it out and thus the introduction of this new award with a full slate of nominees. If I do make a mistake however, do correct me or let it slide.

Anyways in this case there wont be any honourable mentions, instead let's get it on...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Original Song

Best Original Song

Do I have to say it again?

And again?

Well here goes, Music is the centre piece of Hindi cinema and it will remain so for years, even though somewhat sadly the lip-sync song seems to be on its last knees.

Anyways without songs, Hindi cinema just wouldn't feel right no matter what anyone says.

And for these films it adds double, so let's not waste time and here are the honourable mentions;

Jag Ghoomeya, Sultan-The heartthrob romantic track that completely encapsulate what and why Sultan is about and that at the end of the day it is a romantic film. Despite all his bad moves and downfall, this is the moment that endears you to Sultan thanks to an affable performance by Salman Khan.

Haat Mullah, Jugni-The energetic duet brims with passion and sensation, in its spark creating the very purity that brings Vibs and Mastana together and ironically the very reason why the moment should be left alone and not extended. Makes you see the other side of what the drive of music does for the absolutely goofy Mastana.

Just go To Hell Dil, Dear Zindagi-A blasting outcry of pain but spirit and who else but Sunidi Chauhan to sing it.

Jeete Hain Chal, Neerja-Hopeful and powerful just like its titular character, this song defines the very spirit of Neerja Bhanot and her absolute bravery

Saathi Re, Kapoor and Sons-The ode to the pains of family, the loss of time and the grief over a loved one, absolutely painful. If you don't shed a tear during this one, you're dead [just kidding].

The Rest of the Udta Punjab album-Fun, rocking and tunes that are just worth listening to on a loop. Ikk Kudi sadly isn't an original song, so it doesn't make the list; but Shahid Mallaya's rendition makes you realize just what our unnamed Alia Bhatt means to Tommy Singh.

The Soundtrack of Sairat-Simply sublime and each song is used as an intelligent character driven piece, a wonderful throwback to how mainstream cinema worked at one point. If only I had broken my rules and nominated this despite language differences.

I could go on and on, but if I'm forgetting anything please forgive me...

HIndie Awards 2017: Best Original Score

Best Original Score

Whether it's a good or bad year in Hindi Cinema, music will always flourish. This year saw a plethora of great scores that underlined not only the thematic value of each films narrative but also provided a distinct reflection on the emotion of particular moments without being overtly manipulative.

In this case silence has also come out as a stirring tool.

As important as songs are in Hindi cinema, these days scores are becoming extremely important in echoing things in a much more sophisticated manner.

To celebrate that, let's have a look at these honourable mentions;

Neerja-Hauntingly melodious yet very powerful and stirring, a highlight of the titular characters heroism and her tragic bittersweet fate.

Phobia-At times a bit too overpowering, this is still a classic horror ensemble that rivets as much as it creates a mood of darkness

Udta Punjab-It might be overpowered by its music, but Udta's spectacle is its score specifically how it melds together the haunted Tommy Singh and "Mary Jane" building to their eventual coming together.

Now onto the nominees...