Of all the anecdotes about Subrata Mitra, perhaps the one about a toaster reveals the most about the venerated cinematographer’s quest for ...
Of all the anecdotes about Subrata Mitra, perhaps the one about a toaster reveals the most about the venerated cinematographer’s quest for perfection, disregard for received wisdom and curiosity about how things work.
The story goes that Mitra set out to buy a toaster. He consulted the phone directory, visited a bunch of stores in Kolkata and finally picked one. Upon returning to his Lansdowne Road home, he bought several varieties of bread and proceeded to toast each and every slice. When he realised that the bread wasn’t being browned evenly, Mitra returned his purchase to the store and fed the toast to the neighbourhood strays.
That isn’t the only story Mitra’s associates tell about his obsession for exactitude, both in life and behind the camera. Tea had to be brewed correctly, with the water boiling at just the right temperature. A mosquito net dared not have broken strands.
On a movie set, a frame had to have the right balance between light and shadow. The completed movie print had to be processed in the laboratory absolutely correctly and projected in theatres perfectly. In the annals of Indian cinema, Subrata Mitra – who worked in the age of celluloid – has a special place for...
