‘Lights Camera Masala’ with Sheena Sippy

Your book focuses on the Chopras, Johars, Sippys and movies like Sholay, Deewar, Read More">etc. which are already popular in it. Didn’t you feel the need to include some of the more forgotten veteran or art films of the industry? The book has a lot of things that are not there. It is by no meansRead More

Your book focuses on the Chopras, Johars, Sippys and movies like Sholay, Deewar, etc. which are already popular in it. Didn’t you feel the need to include some of the more forgotten veteran or art films of the industry?
The book has a lot of things that are not there. It is by no means a reflection on their caliber. The whole idea was to take you through the process of making a commercial film. There are landmarks from the film industry and it’s a slice of life between 2005-06. It’s not a historical take or a flashback to a great extent. It has specifically two flashbacks into Deewaar and Sholay and both have reasons. One to review the writing aspect and one on how to put a film together while handling a multi star cast. It isn’t intended to be a who’s who either. There’s a lot more scope for other books as well.

Everyone knows who your father is and now your brother Rohan has also come into the limelight. So give us a background about yourself? I’ve been around for almost 20 years. I’m a photographer. I’ve done fashion, food, children and more recently, Read More">I’ve been focusing back on Indian cinema. But as I said I’ve beenRead More

Everyone knows who your father is and now your brother Rohan has also come into the limelight. So give us a background about yourself?
I’ve been around for almost 20 years. I’m a photographer. I’ve done fashion, food, children and more recently, I’ve been focusing back on Indian cinema. But as I said I’ve been around and marked my career as well.

Didn’t you feel the need to get into direction like your father and your brother?
I didn’t so far but there is some yearning in the future. I have always loved still photography ever since I was 15 years old. It is something I will never tire of because I love it so much and that is why I haven’t branched into anything else. Film-making is really cool and through this book I have been able to be more involved in the process while documenting images for the book.

Her family name may be synonymous with one of the biggest film-makers Indian cinema has ever witnessed. However, Read More">she created a name for herself in the world of photography and now recently had her own book launched. Meet Sheena Sippy in an IndiaFM exclusive where she talks about her life and her book ‘Lights CameraRead More

Her family name may be synonymous with one of the biggest film-makers Indian cinema has ever witnessed. However, she created a name for herself in the world of photography and now recently had her own book launched. Meet Sheena Sippy in an IndiaFM exclusive where she talks about her life and her book ‘Lights Camera Masala’. After all a photographer is like a painter – An artist of a vision. We bring to you that vision straight out from the talented photographer’s lenses.

Tell us something about the book? When a film is close to release, Read More">the people involved say that the film is different. I have heard it being said whether it is the truth or not. I actually do believe that this book is different. It has an interactive feel. It takes you through an entireRead More

Tell us something about the book?
When a film is close to release, the people involved say that the film is different. I have heard it being said whether it is the truth or not. I actually do believe that this book is different. It has an interactive feel. It takes you through an entire making of a film which hasn’t been done before. There have been many books on the history of Indian cinema but I think this is the first book which takes you through the process of making a film through a tactile feel. I have got feedback from the audience that it has achieved this. It’s very exciting.

How did the initial idea of making this book start about?
I was called in by the publisher India Book House for another project for some photo-research. That project never happened and I quietly said that I have an idea for another book and they loved it. I always intended to document the making of an Indian film. I like all the things in between that give you a closer feel of it. I guess that is the trademark of the book.

Read More">You have photographed the book while Naman Ramachandran has written it and Divya Thakur has designed it. Did you guys work individually or was it group effort? How was your rapport? It was my baby to start with and people came in gradually. Naman was involved very early on and so was Divya. Apart fromRead More

You have photographed the book while Naman Ramachandran has written it and Divya Thakur has designed it. Did you guys work individually or was it group effort? How was your rapport?
It was my baby to start with and people came in gradually. Naman was involved very early on and so was Divya. Apart from us three, other people in the team like the printer, the processor all contributed in some way. It was incredible. Definitely a team effort and the book wouldn’t have happened without their passion.

What do you say is your target audience for the book?
Universal! Anyone who loves Indian cinema – 6-60, 8-80 I don’t know. I would have to say an Indian audience as well as an international audience. Indian cinema is very much into the limelight these days. So I think that it has the packaging and sensibility of a western book and yet the flavor and magic of something that is indigenous.