A celebrity panel discussion was organised recently to discuss the effects of the pandemic on films and filmmaking. The meet was held at International Institute of Photography and Arts, Kolkata (IIPK) in Sector V as a part of its foundation month celebration and in memory of its founder, eminent photographer Sanat Ghosh, who passed away in 2019.
The panelists included cinematographer and director Premendu Bikash Chaki, make-up artiste Aniruddha Chakladar and actress Rituparna Sengupta.
Chaki shared an example of how online work could not bring the same results as working offline. “When we were locked in our houses, we tried to do our work online. We tried to shoot from home, I even directed a film from without stepping out but even after explaining everything to the team I was not satisfied with the end result. But we had to get on with it as we could not let the project stop,” he said.
As soon as the situation improved, his team returned to the studios and resumed outdoor shoots. “But we have definitely changed our ways. We are trying to keep as less people as possible on the sets, and unless it is extremely essential to the script, we are not including scenes where the actors have to be in close interaction,” he added.
Chakladar noted that despite the pandemic, work was going on. “Films and advertisements are still being made, events and celebrations are on but we have altered our way of work. We are more cautious now but are continuing with work as my field of work cannot be executed online,” he said.
The panelists fondly remembered Sanat Ghosh. “I started my career with Sanatda 27 years ago from his Bhowanipore studio. My very first job was with him. He taught us how to carry ourselves in this professional world and how to keep going despite wins and losses,” added Chakladar.
Sengupta arrived late but Chakladar joined her in a small session. “I am emotionally attached to this institute since its conception,” she said. “Sanatda has created this world and treated students like his extended family. It is not easy to create such an environment along with a proper curriculum but he had made this possible.”
The institute is now run by Ghosh’s daughter Purnasha. “My father began this institute in 2012. He believed photography could merge creativity and technology, and wanted to help students combine their passion and profession,” she said. “Seeing the changes in the market, we have also decided to include filmmaking in our curriculum now.”
At present, IIPK’s 12-month diploma programme in commercial photography focuses on principles of photography, history of art and photography and photo composition. Basic cinematography, editing and nuances of filmmaking are among other subjects. The institute also offers a 10-month weekend diploma programme in photographic techniques and a three-month programme in the fundamentals of digital photography and media arts.
