Gandhiji through the lens of cinematographer GS Bhaskar

Interestingly, Gandhiji did not show much interest in the films. He said to have watched only two of the films – Mission to Moscow (1943) by Michael Curtiz and the 1943 Ram Rajya by Vijay Bhatt, in his lifetime.

Many filmmakers tried to capture the life and times of the Mahatma, both during the pre and post-independence period. Mahatma Gandhi: Twentieth Century Prophet by A K Chettiar, Gandhi by Richard Attenborough, The Making of Mahatma by Shyam Benegal, Gandhi My Father by Feroz Abbas Khan, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara by Jahnu Baura, Welcome Back Gandhi by A Balakrishna are some among of the films made since 1937.

Kannada filmmakers and Gandhiji

Kannada filmmakers are also equally enamoured by Gandhiji, the greatest apostle of peace the world has seen after Buddha and Christ and his notion of peace that is centred on non-violence, individualism, soul force and absolution. Internationally renowned filmmakers including Girish Kasaravalli and P Sheshadri have explored the vision of the great leader through their classics Kurmavataara and Mohanadasa.

Renowned cinematographer GS Bhaskar enjoys the distinction of working as a lensman for three classics on Gandhiji – one was Richard Attenborough’s multiple Oscar winning film Gandhi, as second unit cameraman (he assisted A K Bir); second was Kasaravalli's Kurmavatara (The Tortoise, An Incarnation) and finally, Mohanadasa of filmmaker P Sheshadri.

Bhaskar also worked as the cinematographer for many renowned filmmakers including MS Sathyu, Sai Paranjape and Nagesh Kukanoor. Bhaskar, who learnt the craft of cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), is greatly influenced by stalwarts in his field like Subrato Mitra, KK Mahajan and AK Bir.

Bhaskar has left an indelible impression through his films, Sai Paranjpye’s Saaz, Papeeha and Disha, MS Sathya’s Ijjodu, T S Nagabharana’s Nagamandala, Nagesh Kukunoor’s Hyderabad Blues-2, Girish Kasaravalli’s Kurmavatara and P Sheshadri’s Mohanadasa.

Publicity-shy and an introvert, Bhaskar talked to The Federal on his journey from FTII-Pune to becoming a second unit cameraman for Attenborough’s magnum opus Gandhi.

Kasaravalli’s influence

The cultural environment of the 1970s Bengaluru had initially pushed him to pursue cinematography as a career. He recounts, “I first met Girish Kasaravalli in 1973-74, when he was assisting BV Karanth in the making of Chomana Dudi. He introduced me to a real movie camera. Understanding my passion for cinematography, he suggested I join FTII and guided me on applying for the country’s premiere film training institute.

After completing my cinematography course, Bhaskar decided to work for his mentor K K Mahajan and approached him with the intention of serving as his assistant. But, Mahajan had many assistants and asked him to wait for some time.

With no other option left, Bhaskar returned to Bengaluru. When he was about to take up work as an assistant to Devadhar, the cinematographer for Shankar Nag’s landmark film Accident, fate intervened and AK Bir sent word to him.

“I was assigned to serve as a second-unit cameraman for Attenborough’s Gandhi. It was my first real-time exposure on the field. Though, I had read much about Gandhi, it was also my first exposure to Gandhjii’s persona, his life and time through Viewfinder,” recalls Bhaskar.

Attenborough’s Gandhi, through the lens

There are many memories still etched in his mind about shooting on the sets of Gandhi but he still cannot forget one shot.

“It is the one where Gandhiji gets down from the Sarotu (a carriage drawn by a pair of horses) and meets Gopalakrishna Gokhale (Sriram Lagoo), who urges Gandhi to learn as much as he can about the real India,” says Bhaskar. That seems significant to him.

Being a FTII graduate, Bhaskar was at ease when he held the camera for Gandhi. Exposure to European films and a larger understanding of the equipment and working style of European filmmakers and cinematographers came to his rescue while shooting for Gandhi.

“Some Hollywood technicians were surprised with the ease with which our unit was handling the camera. Their positive response created a kind of confidence in me and my team. As Gandhiji was known to many of us, we did not bother much about the subject, we were eager to learn the new techniques employed by Hollywood technicians,” Bhaskar shares.

Shooting the funeral procession

Bhaskar is equally enamoured by the opening shots of the film, in which, Gandhiji, on his way to his evening prayer is shot by Nathuram Godse. This is followed by his state funeral procession attended by millions of people from all walks of life.

“It would have been difficult to get the kind of result if Attenborough had shot the film somewhere other than India. Over two lakh people participated in the procession. Our unit had drawn up an elaborate plan to shoot the sequence on January 30. It was a government holiday. The way the production team handled such a large crowd is something I cannot forget in my life. Similarly, art director Norman Dorme erected the Sabarmati Ashram set in Gurugram, just 60 km from Delhi. We used to travel that distance everyday to shoot that portion of the film,” reminisces Bhaskar.

Kurmavatara and Gandhi’s shadow

After a gap of 30 years, Bhaskar encountered Gandhi again in Girish Kasaravalli’s Kurmavatara, This film is based on a short story by Kendra Sahitya Academy Award recipient writer Kum Veerabhadrappa. It is a take on contemporary India vis-à-vis Gandhian values. This film, in fact, had beaten all previous records set by Kasaravalli’s films by getting screened in 17 countries.

The film was shot in 2010 and Bhaskar was signed up as the director of photography and operative cameraman for Kurmavatara.

“I had a clear picture of the design of the film, following a discussion with Kasaravalli. Girish might have chosen me as a cinematographer, as I worked as a second unit cameraman for Attenborough’s Gandhi. I tried to bring the lighting and positions from Gandhi's film in two scenes in Kurmavatara – one was during the death of Kasturba Gandhi and another was when Gandhi was on his way to evening prayer," he says.

Gandhiji’s walk to the prayer meeting is repeated eight times in the film. The audience liked the way the scene was captured comparing it with Attenborough's Gandhi, he recalls.

 "We used light and shadow metaphorically to show various dimensions of Gandhi's character," he adds.

Mohanadasa: visualisation of Gandhi as a child 

Ten years after Kurmavatara, Bhaskar held a camera to capture the child Gandhi must have been in the tri-lingual Mohanadasa. This film was directed by nine-time National Award recipient filmmaker P Sheshadri.

The film was based on writer Bolwar Mohammud Kunhi’s Papu Gandhi, Bapu Gandhi Aada Kathe.

“As Mohanadasa is about Gandhi’s childhood days and not about the adult Gandhi, I exercised my creative freedom with the consent of the director. In the scene, where Mohanadasa decides to confess his deceitful acts to his father, we composed a scene, where Mohanadasa walks towards his father’s room with a lamp in his hand. I used this particular shot to visualise the mental agony of young Mohanadasa. I could imagine and visualise this shot because of my meditative visit to Rajkot and the Sabarmathi Ashram,” Bhaskar explains.

Bhaskar acknowledges that it was his fortune to work for three renowned filmmakers, who filmed Gandhi. “I think, in a way, I belonged to the right time. I grew up as a person and cinematographer by understanding Gandhi in the past four decades,” says Bhaskar, reflectively stroking his long salt and pepper beard.