For the average movie-goer, sounds are secondary. They are just part of the moving images on screen and are not given much thought. It took one man, Resul Pookutty, to wake us up to the amazing world of film sounds and sound design with his Oscar win for Slumdog Millionaire and now the Kerala government, for the first time in the history of State film awards, has announced an award for sync sound recording. The occasion becomes significant not only because it highlights a hitherto ignored arena of the tinsel world, but also since the first award went to a small-budget, crowd-funded movie, Oraalppokkam.
The journey of Sandeep Kurissery and Jiji Joseph, the winners, is yet another aspect that adds sheen to the award. They had neither the means nor the inclination to go for fancy, expensive equipment and used basic microphones and recording equipment and still did not compromise on quality or creative competence.
Shot for the most part in Uttarakhand, Oraalppokkam by Sanalkumar Sasidharan, who went on to bag the best debutant director prize, was a product of collective effort and selfless camaraderie. “We sync so well that we won an award for sync sound,” laughs Sandeep.
Jiji and Sandeep had associated with two short films that used sync sound while working together at a television news channel. Resul won the Oscar during this time. “We were so inspired by his achievement that it gave us confidence to do more in our chosen field,” they say.
Jiji had taken a liking for audio engineering at a young age. “It was the late 1990s and the digital era had already started. I did my own experiments on the first computer I could put my hands on,” he says. He started out as a cable TV operator at his hometown near Kanjirappally. He later completed an advanced diploma in video editing and audio engineering from Keltron.
“We have not had even a single moment of conflict though the situation was dire during Oraalppokkam . We had to make do with basic stuff in the most hostile weather conditions. It was just after the floods and the entire cast and crew were stuck in snow and mist for two days. All the roads had been washed away and there was no means to communicate with the outside world. In the end, the Army built a new road for us to get out,” Jiji says.
“Our personalities are totally different, but we make an amazing pair,” Sandeep chips in. A graduate from the School of Audio Engineering, Chennai, he had a fascination for the field from early on. Film sounds used to be a prominent theme of discussions with his cousin and short filmmaker Prashanth Vijay. “I used to feel that our movies were more of dramas, with done-to-death location sounds and audio effects. I used to take keyboard classes and was hooked to the music programming functions of the instrument. It was the arrival of A.R. Rahman that transformed the way I listened to sound,” he says.
Sandeep met Sanal during a short film festival where Anguleechalitham , a short film made by Prasanth Vijay for which he and Jiji did the sync sound (he also edited it) was screened, and Sanal invited them to work for Oraalppokkam.
“I would like to stress the politics of cost here; we do not have to use prohibitively expensive paraphernalia to achieve great creative heights, contrary to what the film industry has made us believe over the years,” Sandeep says as he recalls the making of the film. He went on to work with Shaji N. Karun, Girish Kasaravalli and Vipin Vijay after Oraalppokkam .
“During the shoot, we worked with the Zoom H4N portable handheld recorder and other not-so-sophisticated devices. Though a bit sceptical in the beginning, celebrated sound engineer Krishnanunni was happy with the results once we were done,” Sandeep beams. On the filmmaker’s part, Sanal insisted that not even a single dialogue be dubbed even when the recordists had their doubts at certain junctures.
Sandeep and Jiji say the Himalayan locations of the movie presented them with unprecedented possibilities and big challenges. “Weather was at once the hero and villain. But the gurgling streams, rustling pine forests and the umpteen birds were truly a treat for the ears. We used to go out and spend hours together when the rest of the crew took a break from shoot.”
As the maker of Oraalppokkam himself says, it was this passion and dedication that were rewarded by the State. “They worked as one. I never felt as if I was interacting with two different persons. Such amazing chemistry!” Sanal says.
Making sound count
The duo is now working with Ozhivudivasathe Kali directed by Sanalkumar Sasidharan, based on a story by Unni R. They will also associate with the second venture of Kazhcha film forum that made Oraalppokkam . To be directed by Jiju Antony, Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani is a Marathi/multi-lingual film.
Resul Pookutty’s tweet
@resulp Kerala state film awards started2 recognize Sync Sound Recording. First winners Sandeep& Jiji dedicated their award to my work, magnanimity!
(https://twitter.com/resulp/status/63174679707385 8560)
