<p>I was never inclined towards commercial cinema. It was my interest in still photography that finally evolved as interest in documentary filmmaking,” says filmmaker Avijit Mukul Kishore, who is known for his popular documentary film ‘Vertical City’ - a virtual essay on the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Mumbai.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“The concept of the film came while I was teaching in an architecture college. Time and again, there has been a debate on urban development. Since I have seen the City change in front of my eyes and analysed the way free land was utilised for commercial purposes, I decided to make a film on it,” says Avijit, who won at the London International Documentary Festival – a Special Jury Mention and at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Trivandrum - Special Jury Mention for the film in 2011. <br /><br />Interestingly, the documentary is different from his films Snapshots from a Family Album, Where’s Sandra, Johna & Jane and many more. Vertical City highlights his calm and patient approach in filmmaking. “Of all the documentaries that I have made, Vertical City is the one based on a social issue. I wanted to be experimental while portraying the problem.” <br /><br />So, Avijit decided not to take bites from the poor living in that residential complex. “After the sound-bite culture by TV news channels, it was no use talking to people. Needless to say, I would have got aggravated answers. Therefore, I decided to take another route to show the problem. I asked my colleagues of architecture college to present an interaction which runs parallel to images,” says Avijit.<br /><br />Dealing with real people and situations gives Avijit satisfaction. Though he has done specialisation in portraying non-fiction on screen, the filmmaker found documentaries more profound. “As I was exposed to work of several filmmakers at FTII, I was inclined more towards documentaries based on social issues and completely rooted in reality.” Quiz him about his personal favourite documentary filmmakers, Avijit replies, “I am 20’ by SN Shastri and ‘India 67’ by S Sukhdev.”<br /><br />His active involvement in still photography made him choose cinematography and he has worked as cameraman on reality shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati, Rendezvous and Kamzor Kadi Kaun. “I wanted to continue with the medium that has been engaging me for years and that is photography.” <br /><br />Presently, Avijit is quite happy with the documentaries he makes. “I would love to shoot a commercial film as a cinematographer but I won’t go asking producers or directors to take me in their film. They should come to me after seeing my work,” says he. Only a matter of time before that happens, Avijit. <br /></p>
<p>I was never inclined towards commercial cinema. It was my interest in still photography that finally evolved as interest in documentary filmmaking,” says filmmaker Avijit Mukul Kishore, who is known for his popular documentary film ‘Vertical City’ - a virtual essay on the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Mumbai.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“The concept of the film came while I was teaching in an architecture college. Time and again, there has been a debate on urban development. Since I have seen the City change in front of my eyes and analysed the way free land was utilised for commercial purposes, I decided to make a film on it,” says Avijit, who won at the London International Documentary Festival – a Special Jury Mention and at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Trivandrum - Special Jury Mention for the film in 2011. <br /><br />Interestingly, the documentary is different from his films Snapshots from a Family Album, Where’s Sandra, Johna & Jane and many more. Vertical City highlights his calm and patient approach in filmmaking. “Of all the documentaries that I have made, Vertical City is the one based on a social issue. I wanted to be experimental while portraying the problem.” <br /><br />So, Avijit decided not to take bites from the poor living in that residential complex. “After the sound-bite culture by TV news channels, it was no use talking to people. Needless to say, I would have got aggravated answers. Therefore, I decided to take another route to show the problem. I asked my colleagues of architecture college to present an interaction which runs parallel to images,” says Avijit.<br /><br />Dealing with real people and situations gives Avijit satisfaction. Though he has done specialisation in portraying non-fiction on screen, the filmmaker found documentaries more profound. “As I was exposed to work of several filmmakers at FTII, I was inclined more towards documentaries based on social issues and completely rooted in reality.” Quiz him about his personal favourite documentary filmmakers, Avijit replies, “I am 20’ by SN Shastri and ‘India 67’ by S Sukhdev.”<br /><br />His active involvement in still photography made him choose cinematography and he has worked as cameraman on reality shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati, Rendezvous and Kamzor Kadi Kaun. “I wanted to continue with the medium that has been engaging me for years and that is photography.” <br /><br />Presently, Avijit is quite happy with the documentaries he makes. “I would love to shoot a commercial film as a cinematographer but I won’t go asking producers or directors to take me in their film. They should come to me after seeing my work,” says he. Only a matter of time before that happens, Avijit. <br /></p>
