A coy Kamala looks up at the figure of Ratanlal, as his eyes meet hers, with warmth. A moment of “furtive intimacy” is shared on-board a speeding train, as the soft glow of light engulfs both from behind, revealing only parts of their transfixed bodies. This is a scene from Jawani Ki Hawa , Bombay Talkies’ début feature film, an elopement thriller of young lovers separated by class and caste that was made in 1935.
And Josef Wirsching, the cinematographer of German descent who came to India and never returned; who pioneered Indian cinema’s venture into German Expressionism loved flirting with light, shade and shadow — and this frame is no exception. In fact, it is one of the many gems that Lalit Kala Akademi now, houses, as part of A Cinematic Imagination, an exhibition of archived photographs taken by Wirsching during his stint as a cinematographer with production house Bombay Talkies, that brilliantly capture the essence of 1930s Indian cinema. The exhibition is part of a multi-event festival called Enchanted Networks: The Light of Asia by Goethe-Institut, Chennai.
A second look
Lalit Kala has undergone a visible change — while some walls are laden with red, large format photographs from shoot locations of the time take up the other walls. Set in the corners are spotlights, the kind that are seen on sets, streamlining light on to the meticulously framed and labelled works. As for the composition of light in the photographs itself, Wirsching tells a story through shadows. Almost all the portraits demand at least a second look. In the background plays, ‘Yeh Kitni Badi Mehfil Aur Ik Dil, Kisko Doon’ from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai . Soon enough, one finds oneself humming in the gallery.
Works displayed at Lalit Kala Akademi
There are different sections to this exhibition that houses 131 works: sections dedicated to Bombay Talkies (the first production house which was functional from 1934 to 1954), Wirsching’s technique and craft, Devika Rani (with a label that reads ‘First Lady of the Indian Screen’, and a few related to iconic movies like Jeevan Prabhat (1937) and Jawani Ki Hawa . And the vitrines, which are lit from inside, showcase the original prints of some of the photographs that have been conserved for over 80 years. This compact yet meticulously detailed collection was first displayed at the Serendipity Arts Festival, held in Goa in 2017 and has now travelled to the city. “The exhibition takes on an innovative contemporary form while narrating events from in front of and behind the camera. We all identify with the strong connection people have with cinema, but there is often history that we don’t know about,” says Smriti Rajgarhia, Director Serendipity Arts Foundation about the idea behind bringing the exhibition to the city.
A rich legacy
After Josef Wirsching’s passing in 1967 following a cardiac arrest, a steel trunk held on to his life’s work. Wolfgang Peter Wirsching, his son had preserved it. Being a mechanical engineer, he had little clue on what to do with the photographic material — Georg Wirsching, Wirsching’s grandson who currently manages the archive, narrates.
Josef Wirsching servicing his camera at the Bombay Talkies studio
“My father used to keep opening it and checking it from time to time. Later, after my brother and I were born we also moved around quite a bit. All through the shifting, I’d ask my dad what was in the trunk. He’d say ‘It’s your grandfather’s legacy. When you are old enough, you will know’,” recalls Georg, whose family moved to Goa in 2006. It was only when he was in college that he realised that his grandfather was a notable name in Indian cinema: months of research and conversations with experts and visiting different international film festivals to see the works, later, he got down to archiving whatever was hidden in the steel trunk in 2009.
“I got myself a computer, high resolution scanners, gloves etc and started scanning all the negatives and large prints. The entire collection consists of over 6,000 photographs — in the form of negatives, lobby cart prints, album and loose prints,” says Georg. Apart from the documentation of his work in cinema right from Germany to India, a lot of ethnographic documentation was also among the collection. But all these were restricted to the family archive.
Choosing the display
In 2015-16, among the scholars who came to view the works were Debashree Mukherjee (one of the curators of this showcase) who later approached the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts. Rahab Allana, of the foundation also joined the team. This was essentially the inception point of A Cinematic Imagination. Months were spent to zero in on the 131 works from over 6,000, which are now on display.
Meena Kumari in a still from Kamal Pictures’ production of Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, 1960
Every single frame has a story to tell. “In ‘20s and ‘30s, even up to the ‘60s, no filmmaker might have thought of documenting the work process. Here you can see these beautiful behind-the-scenes shots,” Georg continues, pointing to one of the frames; a scene from a shoot: “The entire crew of technicians on the left side, the actors on the right, the lighting set up and the shower system. You know, the picture that they have used as a reference for the backdrop in the set, is my grandfather’s too.” Similarly, another picture of actress Devika Rani, taking a smoke break amid shooting, also speaks of Wirsching’s penchant for candid clicks.
A Cinematic Imagination is on display at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Greams Road, till August 4, from 10 am to 6 pm.
Published - July 24, 2019 04:57 pm IST
