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On the sets of Ready
MUMBAI
ORiginAL
PERCEPTiOn
An enthusiastic still photographer from early years, filmmaking for DoP Sunil Patel is a collaborative process. A firm believer in
planning, according to Patel today’s images are born out of a different thinking and criteria than those of yesteryears, and this has a
F
or Sunil Patel, cinematography was a natural progression
from one artistic activity to another. An enthusiastic still
photographer from early years, on completion of his
Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Patel took up another
Bachelor’s course in Photography at the Harrow College,
Middlesex Polytechnic in UK. The kind of creative exposure
that he had there, coming in contact with the latest trends and
advances in photography ultimately led him to take up cinematography as
a profession. According to him, “a new approach to my career was logical
and appealing”.
Working out of Mumbai, where technology and ideas bombard a
cinematographer’s psyche, Patel is at ease. “Generally one is aware of
the advances made in any particular field through dedicated speciality
books and magazines. Cinematography, like any other profession,
requires regular update to stay abreast with the technological and aesthetic
achievements of our colleagues in other parts of the world. It is important
to realise that someone, somewhere is facing a similar situation like you,
direct bearing on the way we make films today.
and that someone out there has already found a possible solution to your
problem,” he says.
Patel’s work for all these years has been main stream Hindi masala
movies. “I think it is a matter of perception of what one considers a
‘masala’ film – it caters to a real demand,” he says. “It’s another thing
that you may personally not agree with it; but most films that I have
worked on have had my real dedication to it, even if my opinions have not
been accepted,” he adds. “I have worked with directors who have been
very passionate about their stories and would not want to compromise,”
says Patel. “I think it is my duty to be at his/her side and help him/her
realise their film on screen. I have come to realise that if one improves
the quality of his/her argument, there will emerge a more meaningful
film,” he says.
On the matter of the basic approach to cinematography changing over
the years, Patel says, “Not in as much as the technique, as the reason for
which images are created today. Today’s images are born out of different
thinking and criteria than those of yesteryears. This of course, has a
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