Ananya Ghosh (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 26, 2014)

Sunita Radia, the associate cinematographer of Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and Rang De Basanti (2006), already has the international press raving about her work in the upcoming film, Jal which had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival.

“I had just finished my first film as a cinematographer, Aalaap, when I got a call from writer-director Girish Malik, just 15 days before Jal was to roll," recalls Sunita whose reccee took her to tribal villages where she attended weddings, listened to folk music, and met real water diviners and conservationists.

Set in the Rann of Kutch, Jal focuses on the water scarcity in the region. It's protagonist, Bakka (Purab Kohli) is a water diviner. The brief was clear; Girish wanted a surreal feel and so they chose to shoot in peak summer to capture the mirages and heat waves.

Surviving in the desert when the temperature was up to 50 degree celsius was an ordeal. "Sandstorms would garnish our meals daily but eventually, we got accustomed to them,” Sunita smiles.

All they had was the sky and a vast expanse of harsh, barren land. Creating a space which looks surreal, waiting for twisters, sandstorms and mirages was daunting. "But a few days into the shoot, we had a fair idea of how the weather would behave. The locals who know the topography and the climate well, were a big help," she says.

When a sandstorm was in the horizon, the team would prep to roll. Kesar (Kirti Kulhari), the female lead, is introduced during one of these sandstorms.

 Malik was open to experimentations and there was no compulsion to make the frames look sanitised. "Girish was okay with me using extreme burnouts and shadows. I've drastically played with brightness and contrast to give the film a dreamlike feel," says Sunita.

The film has a vivid molestation scene but according to Sunita, being a woman only helped. Not only she could handle the scene more sensitively, the actress felt more at ease.

“I wanted to shoot it in a way that it will give you goose bumps but the serenity and dignity of the character would be maintained. I wanted the audience to feel her agony and pain, and also create a sense of intrigue,” she says, adding that there is also an aesthetically shot lovemaking scene in the film.

“However, the colourist found the scene too hot!” she quips.