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2010 |
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ASHOK MEHTA ISC/WICA |
Born: 1947, Punjab, India.
Career: 'Ashok Mehta was 14 when he ran away from home in Delhi and became a hawker's flunkey in Mumbai [Bombay] selling boiled eggs. In 1963 he moved on to sell watermelon slices, and on a holiday he saw a film shoot in a studio in Dadar. Hooked, he joined as a canteen boy at Asha Studio in Chembur and later became an office boy at R.K. Studios. He slowly started filling in for absentee studio hands and soon became familiar with sets, lights, etc. The next step ahead was when he became camera attendant and soon learnt his way around the camera. He became c.asst at Srikrishna Films and got his first break as a cinematographer at the age of 25 in Raj Marbros' 'The Witness'. He credits his actual career boost to the reigning star of the 70's, Shashi Kapoor. Kapoor, who was starring in a film being shot by Mehta, was greatly impressed by his work and even though the film did not get made eventually, it won Mehta the favor of Kapoor, who offered him his next production, '36 Chowringhee Lane'. Soon after, Mehta was noticed by the leading filmmakers of the parallel cinema movement that was in its prime at the time and was flooded with film offers. The next step for Mehta was to establish himself in mainstream cinema and this opportunity came through actress Rakhee. It was during the filming of 'Paroma' that Rakhee got acquainted with Mehta and his work, but it was years later when Subhash Ghai, leading director of the popular film scene, was on the lookout for a cameraman for his mega-project 'Ram Lakhan', that she suggested the name of Mehta. Ashok Mehta then stepped onto the popular film scene and with the collaboration of Ghai, brought to popular cinema an altogether different style of lighting and shot taking.' [From articles and interviews by Renu Bhatnagar, a.o.]
Ph 800+ commercials.
Awards: Bengal Film Journalists' Award [197?] for 'Lal Kothi'; National Film Awards 'Silver Lotus Award' [1982] for '36 Chowringhee Lane'; Screen Weekly Award [1995] for 'Trimurti'; National Film Awards 'Silver Lotus Award' [2001] & Screen Weekly Award nom [2002] for 'Moksha'.
'It is very rare that a director can say that his learning and career graph was propelled by his relationship with a DP. But I could say that openly and honestly about Ashok Mehta. I have only done one film with him unfortunately. And that is because Ashok refused to come with me to the West where I pursued my creative goals. He refused to be taken away from his roots here in India. I still wish he had come. I missed him a lot.
Ashok unlocked my creative potential in 'Bandit Queen'. He showed me how to be brave and not afraid of expressing myself through the camera and not just through actors and story/plot. He taught me that my instincts were good, but only as good as my courage to follow them through.
Ashok Mehta taught me to be fearless in my visual expression, something that I have now become known for in Hollywood.
Ashok has an innate sense of visual story telling. It's not just about how he lights, but also how he frames. Subtle shifts in camera angles sometimes, and extreme angles that create inherent emotional charge in the audience at other times. He looks through the camera and instinctively knows what to do to accentuate that which is often hidden in the subtext of the scene.
Ashok Mehta is self taught. Originally from Afghanistan, he started by selling boiled eggs outside a Mumbai studio. Then got a job as a lowly 'canteen boy' inside the studio. He begged for a job as a 'camera attendant' graduating to focus puller and then to cinematographer. And the rest is history as he redefined the art of cinematography in Mumbai. And taking risks. He shot the interiors of Shyam Benegal's 'Trikal: (Past, Present, Future)' almost completely in candlelight at a time when film stocks did not have as much latitude.
He does not ask too many questions. Ashok came on to the location of 'Bandit Queen' when I had to lose an original British DP, and walked on to the set and took the camera from me [I was filming myself by then] and quickly readjusted the lens and the angle and in five minutes said 'lets shoot!!' How did he know what to do? He did not even have the time to read the script. All I can say is that he has the 'Gift'. A gift that has gone somewhat unfulfilled in Indian Cinema unfortunately. For his attempts to raise the art of the image beyond the needs of stars, schedules and mundane plot lines ultimately frustrated him. I think he just looked to God and said 'whatever!!'
Ashok should film. He should teach. He has so much to give that it would be a crime to not learn from him. He is a visual genius.' [Director Shekhar Kapur on his website, 2010.]
FILMS |
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1969 |
Trishna [?] ?; cph: Sudarshan Nag |
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1972 |
The Witness [Raj Marbros] unreleased |
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1972 |
Trisandhya [Raj Marbros] b&w-c |
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1975 |
Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon/Sun and Shade [Basu Bhattacharya] c |
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1975 |
Daaku/Daku/The Bandit [Basu Bhattacharya] c |
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1977 |
Bhumika [Shyam Benegal] c |
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1978 |
Humare Tumhare/Hamaare Tumhare [Umesh Mehra] c |
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1978 |
Lal Kothi [Ashish Roy] c |
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197? |
Teesra Patthar [?] unreleased |
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1980 |
Kalyug/The Machine Age [Shyam Benegal] c; co-addph; ph: Govind Nihalani |
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1980 |
Cobra [Batra Mohinder] c |
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1980 |
Nirvana [Jalal Agha] filmed 1980-83; unreleased |
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1981 |
36 Chowringhee Lane [Aparna Sen] c |
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1982 |
Jawalaa Dahej Ki [Chaman Nillay] c |
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1982 |
Mandi/Marketplace [Shyam Benegal] c; 160m |
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1983 |
Utsav/The Festival [Girish Karnad] c |
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1984 |
Paroma/Parama/The Ultimate Woman [Aparna Sen] c |
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1984 |
Andar Baahar/Andar Bahar [Raj N. Sippy] c |
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1984 |
Bandh Honth [Raj Marbros] ? |
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1985 |
Susman/The Essence [Shyam Benegal] c; 130m |
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1985 |
Shiva Ka Insaaf [Raj N. Sippy] 3D/c |
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1985 |
Trikal: (Past, Present, Future) [Shyam Benegal] c; 139m |
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1985 |
Mirch Masala/Spices/A Touch of Spice [Ketan Mehta] c |
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1986 |
Zindagani [Prabhat Roy] c |
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1987 |
Ijaazat/Guest [Sampooran Singh Gulzar] c; + small part |
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1988 |
Oonch Neech Beech [Wasi Khan] c; cph: Hari Roy |
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1989 |
Sati/Widow Burning [Aparna Sen] c |
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1989 |
Ram Lakhan/Ram and Lakhan [Subhash Ghai] c |
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1990 |
Raiszaada/Raeeszada [Bharat Kapoor] c |
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1990 |
Saudagar/The Trader [Subhash Ghai] c; 205m |
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1990 |
Prem [Satish Kaushik] c; ph 'b' unit; ph: Baba Azmi |
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1992 |
Mujhse Dosti Karoge?/Come, Let Us Be Friends [Gopi Desai] c |
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1992 |
1942: A Love Story [Vidhu Vinod Chopra & ('b' unit) Shekhar Kapur] scope/c; ph 'b' unit; ph: Binod Pradhan |
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1992 |
Bandit Queen/Phoolan Devi [Shekhar Kapur] c; addph: Gilles Nuttgens; filmed 1992-93 |
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1993 |
Khal Nayak/The Villain [Subhash Ghai] c |
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1995 |
Trimurti [Mukul S. Anand] scope/c; 187m; 2uc: Rajeev Jain |
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1995 |
The Making of the Mahatma/Apprenticeship of a Mahatma/Gandhi Se Mahatma Tak [Shyam Benegal] c; 144m |
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1995 |
Droh Kaal [Govind Nihalani] c |
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1996 |
Pukar [Rajkumar Santoshi] c; cph: Baba Azmi & Santosh Sivan |
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1996 |
Tara Rum Pum Pum [Shekhar Kapur] prod cancelled |
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1996 |
Gupt: The Hidden Truth [Rajiv Rai] tvi/c; 2uc: Rajeev Jain |
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1997 |
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar [Jabbar Patel] c; 191m |
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1998 |
Gaja Gamini [M.F. Husain] scope/c; 140m; cph: Shaina Nath |
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2001 |
Moksha/Salvation [Ashok Mehta] b&w-c; + co-prod/story |
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2001 |
Aankhen/All the Best [Vipul Amrutlal Shah] scope/c; 2 parts: 89m & 76m |
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2002 |
Dil Ka Rishta/Heart of Gold [Naresh Malhotra] scope/c; 2 parts: 69m & 80m |
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2002 |
Chalte Chalte [Aziz Mirza] scope/c; 2 parts: 81m & 84m; addph: Rajeev Jain |
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2004 |
Kisna: The Warrior Poet/Kisna: Beyond Love [Subhash Ghai] scope/c; 170m; international version 'Kisna: Beyond Love' runs 100m |
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2004 |
Waqt: The Race Against Time [Vipul Amrutlal Shah] scope/c; cph: Santosh Thundiiayil |
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2004 |
Family: Ties of Blood [Rajkumar Santoshi] scope/b&w-c |
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2005 |
No Entry [Anees Bazmee] c; 158m |
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2005 |
God Tussi Great Ho/God You Are Great [Rumi Jaffery] c; addph: Aseem Bajaj & Arvind Soni |
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2006 |
I See You [Vivek Agrawal] scope/c |
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2006 |
Meridian Lines [Venod Mitra] c; addph: Arvind Soni |
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2007 |
Mehbooba [Afzal Khan] c |
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2008 |
Shortkut - The Con Is On [Neeraj Vora] c; 142m; cph: Arvind Soni & Johny Lall |
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2009 |
Hum Tum Aur Ghost/Kaun Bola? [Kabeer Kaushik] c |
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2009 |
World Cupp 2011 [Ravi Kapoor] c |
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2010 |
Teen Thay Bhai/Mad, Madder, Maddest [Mrigdeep Singh Lamba] s16-35bu (2.35:1)/c |
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2010 |
Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told [Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra & Jeff Zimbalist] scope/c; doc/79m; cph: Tapan Basu |
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MISCELLANEOUS |
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1982 |
Vijeta/Conquest [Govind Nihalani] co-c.op battle seq; ph: G. Nihalani |
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1993 |
Dil Tera Aashiq [Lawrence D'Souza] actor; ph: L. D'Souza |
FILMS AS DIRECTOR |
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2001 |
Moksha/Salvation [co-prod/story/dir/ph] see Films |
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2001 |
24 Hours [feature] announced for 2001-02 |