MUMBAI: The least we hear is about the man behind the camera who lends a perfect look to the Director’s shot. While they tirelessly work towards accomplishing the desired goals, Raju Gauli stands out with a hunger to constantly reinvent. With over 20 successful TV shows in his kitty and awards for two, he feels there is a still lot to explore. Gauli has also done special framing and lighting in Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3.

Raju Gauli, a simple and humble man who hails from Dehradun, moved to Mumbai to pursue his dreams as a cinematographer. Without any professional training, Gauli worked day and night as a junior assistant to senior assistant to learn all the tricks and traits of the craft till he finally got the opportunity to work as the main cinematographer. A 30 year long journey in the industry, Raju sums up as follows, “I feel humbled that I could manage to accomplish my dream. It was a long journey but every milestone was a lesson to learn. The more I got rejected the more it fuelled the fire in me to push back and work harder.”

TellyChakkar corners this effervescent cinematographer for a freewheeling chat for our Behind the Lens section.

Excerpts:

Tell us about how your day goes by? From the time you wake up to visiting the sets?WFF

I love sipping my first cup of coffee when I wake up and enjoy the panoramic view from my window. Nature and its colours enthrall me and I try to keep the thought flowing into my shoot also. No colour corrections or paint brushes are used in God's creation and I thank God for being able to see it every day. Then I spend some time over breakfast with my family - my lovely daughter and my wife discussing their agenda for the day and everything else in between. Then we split up and I leave for my shoot. I face heavy traffic everyday but that’s my 'Me' time to think over what all I need to accomplish at the shoot. At the shoot, I discuss with my director and my team the shoot agenda and how best to improvise and add a little extra to a normal scene. Planning is a must and a little goes a long way and it shows on screen. My team and I then get to work to translate the director’s thoughts. Where your work is your passion, there you don’t tire out, and I am one of the lucky few who get to pursue their passion day in and day out.

What is the most exciting part of your job profile?

The most exciting part of my job is that I get to be surprised everyday! Which no other field, I assume, allows you. Nothing is usual, every day is different, every shoot is different, every scene, every shot, every situation is always new.  To experiment these different things itself is very challenging and exciting that motivates you to give your best. Of course, the Director is the captain of the ship, but I do have the privilege of translating his vision onto the screen.

How do you keep yourself updated with all the new technologies? What are the things you refer to?

There has been a huge revolution in the last five years ever since digital media has made it big; it is very easy to be updated and quench the thirst of knowledge. I watch a lot of movies, read books, and attend festivals and exhibitions to keep myself updated. There is a constant endeavor to better myself in the process.    

When it comes to other shows, which cinematography you like the most and why?

I personally like the cinematography of Ishqbaaaz. This is not a biased opinion but I really do think that the royal look and feel of the show is uniquely different from other shows. Over and above that, I liked the natural feel of Ganga on &TV.

What do you think Ishqbaaaz?

How much have you put in to make it look grand and to add that texture/ element which differs it from other shows?

The lighting and blocking in Ishqbaaz is a little different. If you observe, it is an unbalanced frame. Initially, we tried to experiment something out of the box for television in terms of framing and blocking. People caught on to it, they found it different and it got noticed, so we are continuing with the same style. The show has to look grand and opulent as well, so that's something we maintain.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just that it's a pleasure to work on this show, as it’s not common that television norms allow experimentation, we did it and it paid off.