Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1475409
I feel the same about every piece of visual medium that's passed through my fingers. I have a special bond and connection with all of them. Even today, what excites me is my love for (creative) technical difficulty when shooting or in post. I wanted difficult films. I love the challenges of ensemble acts. Sometimes a film can have just two or three actors. And it's very small. It's very closeted. It's very easy. But I will try and find an angle to it with the soundscape. I feel my aptitude and attitude are what brings or attracts a script and I am grateful these scripts keep coming to me. SSS: How long were you on the ship? BF: Each week was a roundtrip in the Mediterranean. Starting from Barcelona, we'd set sail to the tip of Africa, Tunisia onward to Naples, Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Villefranche, and back to Barcelona ("Groundhog" six weeks). This is a functional cruise liner with a ship crew of 750 and nearly 2,500 holiday makers who we are clearly not to disturb for obvious reasons. So we are navigating not only locked off locations for shoot (per convenience of the holidayers), I am also navigating regional RF frequency nightmares and 23 actors on a cruise ship, which drove me crazy! Why? Because they are all on the ship and it's sailing and they can't leave. So they are always on call if need be. So much for my love for the ensemble. The Buick Super Convertible that was my home for the most part of the shoot of the National Award winning film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011). Zoya Akhtar is an amazing director and has pushed me to achieve far more than most directors. She can drive me a little nuts because she always wants more. For instance, a scene has 12-14 characters with six characters talking, but she wanted it to be a lot more organic and suddenly, I have 12 characters talking. With her, I have to be on the ball and this overall has helped me with the way I see a script and the narrative. SSS: Wow. BF: Yeah, crazy. Actually, I feel it's terrible to have to pick favourites. All of my work exhibits something that I like about it. But Dil Dhadakne Do was my best work as a dialogue editor. SSS: Dialogue editors do not do production recording here. And post- production is separate, it's a completely different career. How did you learn how to do production recording? BF: The same way I learned how to do editing. I just jumped in and started. While I had done some independent work on my own, it was in 2005 when I decided to start off as an independent freelancer. This is when I got the chance to collaborate and work with Nakul Kamte on a couple of projects. Our interaction led to lots of healthy debates and learning. This was supplemented by avidly following the work of many international production mixers, designers, reading, getting my hands on as much viewing content, applying the ideas, and asking a lot of questions, while making sure there were no fatal mistakes in the application. SSS: Where did you get the equipment? BF: In 2007 when we did Rock On!!, I hired the gear. I was always unhappy with the rental outfits in Mumbai. You check, test, and set up a rig and on the day of shoot, something different turns up on set. My work on Rock On!! led to my producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar reaching out to me with the idea of getting our own equipment. I never had to worry about equipment after this. With the work I did and money I made, part of it would go back into buying more equipment for myself. And so I kept adding to the arsenal. I literally have four or five recorders sitting in my office with tons of mics. I acquired so much gear because I never wanted to be dependent or let down by a rental company when I was on location. SSS: How did you know about microphones? Did you learn that at FOH? BF: FOH and studio microphones are completely different from location microphones. A lot of reading helped. One had to learn the use and application of the mic you were choosing and then you needed to apply your ears to the rest of the discovery process. Early in my career, I was asked if I would like to get into music and my answer was no. I was lucky to be very clear about choices. SSS: You knew it, didn't you? BF: Yes, I knew. So I think the whole answer to that riddle is, thankfully, I was not experimenting with where I wanted to go with my career. If I was experimenting, it was between design and mix. And at the same time, I was clear about the inter-relation between the two. Yes, I am interested in music as far as mixing music score for film goes. SSS: You've worked in several countries besides India. Where have you been? BF: It started off with my exposure to the AudioVision which lead me to train the first studio setup with a DAW in Nepal in 2001. My experience with the Pro Tools led me