Celebrating decades of a lens-eye view

Veteran cinematographer BS Basavaraj, who was recently awarded the Nandi Lifetime Achievement Award, takes a trip down memory lane

History has always fascinated humanity; especially when it comes to cinema. No matter how technologically advanced the process is today, the past hold a special appeal. There seems to be something mystical about the black and white era, the manner in which the lights were used, shadow effects were created and more. A man well-versed in both old and the new techniques is none other than veteran cinematographer, BS Basavaraj, who has worked in over 120 films till date.

Not only is he a walking encyclopaedia of filmmaking, he also has the rare experience of working with both old and new techniques.

Basavaraj who was awarded the Nandi Lifetime Achievement Award recently, started off his film journey at the age of 17, and was mentored by legendary cinematographer VK Murthy. Coming from a family where, “Most of my cousins were into medicine and engineering, I too was expected to follow suit. But, the very thought of having a stethoscope hanging around my neck or carrying a T board and working in a government job for life, sounded like drudgery,” says Basavaraj, who adds that he was always enthralled by the world of art.

“I would make sketches, paint and would take off to watch plays in my hometown of Kittur. In those days, theatre was huge in small towns. We would see theatre companies like Gubbi Veeranna or Subbaiah Naidu camp in town for six months and stage shows in the evenings. We could get monthly passes to watch every play they performed. Their comedies were brilliant, especially the ones with actors Narasimharaju, Balakrishna and GV Iyer. Their acting would keep us in splits!”

Basavaraj shares that he would skip school to watch the actors at rehearsals and then watch them again on stage. “It was the creation, preparation and final presentation that fascinated me,” says the octogenarian. “All this lured me to the world of cinema. I also believe that art is inherent in each of us, no matter what we do or where we come from.”

Basavaraj says his preoccupation with theatre resulted in his failing his class XII exams and he was sent off to Bengaluru to complete his backlogs at National College, Basavanagudi. It was during his stay in Bengaluru, that he started dabbling in painting and photography as a serious hobby.

“I had a relative who had leased out his theatre and he had a pass where he could watch any film at any time. Needless to say, I made good use of his pass. Around the same time, I had a neighbour who was an artist and I started making portraits with him,” says the cinematographer, adding that the combination of both, triggered the thought of becoming a cinematographer.