In its chequered history of around two decades, it has had several rebirths. Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, it too, has sprung up every time a dirge or an elegy was being composed to mourn its demise. Bengalooru’s very own Deep Focus, has stubbornly staved the Tsunamis of serious financial constraints. Likewise, the man with the Midas touch — the unassuming and steely smiling George A L Kutty, its editor, ensuring their enterprise would not bow out so easily from terra firma.
Several such commendable and trail-blazing initiatives — Cinema India International., Cinema In India., Cinemaya and the like, providing perspective platform to meaningful cinema fell by wayside over the years. Deep Focus, though, begun by brave breed of young, dreamy handful from the class of 1988 Diploma in Film Appreciation at Film and Television Institute of India alumni, however, has stood the test of time. Fresh and flush with their new learnings on most mesmerising and fascinating visual art forms after schooling at FTII, these acolytes and advocates believed that it was imperative to disseminate the singular message that there is more to movies than just Bollywood and passive viewing.
Thus was born Deep Focus with its progenitors wanting to begin a serious film journal that gave window of opportunity for publication of well researched, seminal articles. From academics to critics to discourse creating fora for serious writers on cinema developing film literature and ready research material for aspiring students on various genres of films and its constituents. Indeed, as its very name suggests, Deep Focus, despite the struggle to keep it going, sustain it despite lack of proper prop, has been championing the cause of cinema. The avowed cineates quarterly has again hit the stands thanks to the perseverance of its principal proponent Kutty and his elite editorial and advisory team led by eminent and illustrious auteurs such as Girish Kasarvalli, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Govind Nihalani, Buddadeb Dasgupta and Aribam Shyam Sharma. Deep Focus at Rs 100 carries a medley of illuminative writings that should be any cinephile’s delight. Yes, lay your hands on the copy with Girish’s latest celluloid outing Nayi Neralu on cover. Here’s toasting Deep Focus’ rebirth and wish it, and its erudite team, well and God Speed for now and future and for ever.
For details call: 25493705 / 9448064513 (Kutty, Siddarth or Narahari).
