Latest news with #Mridul
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Cinematographer Mridul Sen on ‘Subham': We took a cinéma vérité approach
In Subham, the Telugu film produced by Samantha Ruth Prabhu and directed by Praveen Kandregula, Bheemunipatnam in Andhra Pradesh is presented as an idyllic seaside town in pastel hues. This charming town transitions into a spooky setting as the story progresses into a horror comedy. Giving this film and its story, with its underlying themes of feminism and masculinity, a pleasing visual aesthetic is cinematographer Mridul Sen. Her camera functions as an invisible observer, dutifully capturing the essence of the story and its characters. 'We wanted Subham's visual tonality to be realistic, on the lines of cinéma vérité,' says Mridul, referring to the style of documentary filmmaking that emerged in France in the 1960s. During the location recce, Mridul observed how the coastal town retained an old world charm and was mostly in pastel hues. The film's story is set in the early 2000s, before the arrival of smartphones. Mridul says the team did not have to make major changes since 'Bheemili is still untouched by today's frenzy.' For the story that revolves around three couples in a middle class locality, Mridul recalls how Praveen Kandregula did not want clothes or props to be too bright or new. 'We coordinated with the costume department (Poojitha Tadikonda) and production designer (Ramcharan Tej Labani), ensuring that the colours were muted. 'Praveen did not want anything brand new or even with a fresh coat of paint. He avoided curtains or cushions that could be jarring.' This attention to detail extended to the makeup of the artistes, and the jumpscares that unravelled like a prank. 'We wanted to keep things light rather than creepy,' adds Mridul. Subham marks Mridul's entry into Telugu cinema, but it was the second Telugu film she signed. She and Praveen first worked on the soon-to-release Paradha, a road trip story featuring Anupama Parameswaran, Sangita Krish and Darshana Rajendran. 'Paradha is poetic and earthy in its visual treatment. We were focusing on its post-production work when Subham came our way.' Mumbai-based Mridul is an alumnus of New York Film Academy's Los Angeles campus. She describes the film school as a cultural hotpot where she collaborated with peers from the US, Egypt, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain. 'NYFA encouraged a collaborative atmosphere; we learnt direction, editing and colour grading as well. We handled different responsibilities while working on each other's films.' Mridul was fascinated by the visual arts in her formative years, from painting to photography, and had also been drawn towards television. 'There was no defining moment or an epiphany, it was a natural progression from assisting my father, Sujit Asit Sen, a steadicam operator, during Dilwale and Singham Returns, to wanting to be a cinematographer.' Guided by cinematographer Binod Pradhan, she applied to NYFA. Mridul's first feature was the Marathi film Khari Biscuit for which she won the award for best cinematography from Sakal Premier Awards, 2019. Commercials, music videos and short films followed. The short film Written By? fetched her the best cinematography award at the Kolkata Short Film Festival. The chance to work with Praveen Kandregula came through common friends and Mridul had no preconceived notion about mainstream Telugu films. Having watched Praveen's indie film Cinema Bandi, she was game for a new journey. A film's genre and story are of prime importance to her, not the language. While the response to Subham is still trickling in, Mridul is awaiting the release of Paradha. In contrast to the intimate world of Subham, she reveals that Paradha incorporates drone shots and wider frames as the narrative travels from the Telugu States to Dharamshala, using a visual palette steeped in stark, earthy tones. Mridul does not make a big deal of being among the few female cinematographers in India, more so in Telugu cinema. Asked why fewer women take to the craft, she says after careful consideration, 'There is a notion that this is a labour intensive job, involving long hours of being on our feet. I would argue that if I were in a desk job, it would be mentally taxing. Rather than talk about how cinematography is not solely a man's job, I prefer to keep my head down, do the work and silently break the stereotype.'
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Fanfiction ‘Fans Talkies' imagines the lives of some of Malayalam cinema's loved characters after the end credits
Writer Joseph Annamkutty Jose in his preface to Fans Talkies, a collection of Malayalam fanfiction (fanfic) short stories by techie-scenarist Mridul George, reminisces about how his older brother, rather nonchalantly ruined for him the happily-ever-after of the Malayalam film Aniyathipravu. They left the theatre, a young Joseph happy with the film's climax. His brother, however, had other opinions, which sowed the seeds of doubt. 'We have only seen it [the movie] till now. The real problems will start now — should it be a church wedding or at a temple, should the kids be baptised or have a noolukettu [Hindu naming ceremony]? The evening prayers — say the rosary or light a lamp? It is all a problem!' Since then, he writes, he can't help but think about what happens after a movie ends. He, like the rest of us movie goers, confesses to wondering about the course the lives of the characters would have taken. The writer, Mridul, also has thought about it. That led him to writing a fanfiction. In 2018, he wrote his first book of fan fiction Paathi Murinja Ticketukal, a collection of stories inspired by some of his favourite films. It was possibly the first such one in Malayalam at that time. He has now followed it up with Fans Talkies, which follows the trajectory of another set of characters from Malayalam films. Fanfic in Malayalam The first fanfic story he wrote, without realising that it belonged to the genre, was from the perspective of Mundakkal Sekharan, the antagonist in the Mohanlal film Devasuram. 'At the time I did not know that it was a genre. I was inspired by MT Vasudevan Nair's Randamoozham,' Mridul says. Randamoozham is a retelling of the Mahabharata from Bhima's perspective. The response from his friends after sharing it on Facebook egged him on to write a few more, which led him to the first book. In Fans Talkies, he confesses to have experimented more in terms of the treatment and narration. While the life of fringe characters of films are explored, some stories pan in on what might have happened. The characters are grown up or aged, the traits of the characters stay at Mridul's hands. But there could be, in some stories, an arc of growth or evolution. The characters in this new book are seldom the same as they were when we left the movies. 'In terms of the narrative technique I have tried different things. I have left the characters as they are or shown them as they would have evolved with the passage of time.' He has also written about characters that we may not have seen on screen but merely alluded to. A spoiler — Manichithrathazhu. Which character? You will have to read the book to find out. There is even one about two characters meeting up with the director of the film. A hint — the film is named after the two male lead characters who are at loggerheads. Then there are Premam and Summer in Bethlehem among others. It is interesting how Mridul has imagined or rather reimagined a character's life after the credits roll. For the reader there is a build up of suspense and expectation following each story, wondering which way it is headed and how the life of the characters has shaped up. 'These can stand as short stories too. I would like this book to be a kind of bridge for movie aficionados and for those who may not be movie lovers, but would much rather prefer a book!' Mridul, a passionate movie-lover, besides having made short films, has co-written the Tovino Thomas film, Luca and yet-to-be released film Mindiyum Paranjum. These stories are his way of paying a tribute to storytellers who have told some of our well-loved stories, on reel. The book, priced ₹160, published by Mankind Literature, is in its second reprint. It is available in bookstores and online on Amazon and
