As soon as she returned from Cannes International Festival, cinematographer Modhura Palit started working on ‘Rickshawala’ and for her, the journey of handling the camera works for the film turned out to be a lifetime experience. ‘Rickshawala’ has been making its festival rounds for almost a year and has already fetched quite a few accolades including Best Short Film at Cardiff International Film Festival and Best Director at International Film and Entertainment Festival in Australia.
Working on this film was a fantastic experience for Modhura. Being a female technician in the team, she was treated with utmost respect, "Ram Kamal da is a fantastic director. He knows what he wants . He asked me to capture the city in all its subtle glory, the Kolkata that lurks in the quiet reassurance of time. Capturing the contrast of the city, and the struggle and reality of Manoj played brilliantly by Avinash Dwivedi.
The film had enough outdoor locations and as cameraperson, Modhura required a lot of physical activities. Avinash has been a revelation. He was determined and focused and performed like a charm. He breathed life into Manoj and bought out the character so well that it became quite difficult to believe he's not what he's playing. He actually learned how to pull the rickshaw and did it with so much conviction.
Modhura explains, "Rikshawala has been taken so appreciatively by the global audience because of the film’s touch with its roots. Human stories and reality is beyond language and cultural differences. Rikshawala tells a story that is true for many Manojs across the globe. It is steeped in realism. Talks about the struggles and dreams of everyone. We all are 'Manoj' in a sense.
I think that any cinematic piece stemming out from the soil and reality of a place transcends barriers. Rikshawala has done the same. And it is apparent how it has been embraced everywhere."
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