Click to play videoMumbai: It takes a fine eye to translate a director's dream onto celluloid and cinematographers have often done that to perfection. So when some of them decide to don the captain's hat later, it seems a natural progression.
But Anil Mehta doesn’t think so. As a cinematographer, Mehta has captured the charm of a rustic village in Lagaan as masterfully as the urban chic of New York in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
Now, he's in the director's chair with Aaja Nachle.
"There are a lot of faculties that a director needs which a cinematographer doesn't need to develop. So when it comes to direction, for me it wasn't a natural progression. It's a fact that the film has so many small town characters with their different natures and unique styles that finally made me take up direction,” he says.
Cinematographer turned director Mazhar Kamran's situation is different. The FTII graduate made waves with his stark style in Satya and Kaun. This was followed by Jhankar Beats, which had a completely different look.
Kamran's directorial debut is Mohan Dass, an adaptation of a Hindi short story. Starring Sonali Kulkarni and lesser known actors, Mazhar's film has been shot in a simple style in tune with the natural colors of rural India.
"My intentions were always to direct a film I always wanted to do it. But cinematography came to me as I wanted to learn the craft of filmmaking first and learn it well,” he says.
While cinematography in Hindi films has technically improved with the times, veterans in the profession feel that sometimes filmmakers let them down.
"It is the story and the script that isn't original. So even if you shoot very well, the film doesn't justify your work. Scripts have not grown,” says cinematographer Ashok Mehta.
Perhaps that is why cinematographers who take up direction do find an audience. Classic examples are, Bimal Roy - who shot 16 films before becoming a landmark filmmaker himself - and more recently, Santosh Sivan - who worked in The Terrorist, Asoka and Before the Rains and won critical acclaim.
So with seasoned cinematographers like Anil Mehta and Mazhar Kamran turning storytellers too, perhaps, one can expect a good mix of captivating stories with visual glory.
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