PRODUCTION MADGAON EXPRESS
my intention is always to capture the performance of actors with the best possible manner and with the least invasive method.” The shoot lasted 50 days across winter 2022 to early 2023 – and Afsar captured the film with the ARRI ALEXA 35. “It was shot using a two-camera set-up and Zuhair Afsar handled the second unit. When we were in pre-production, the ALEXA 35 wasn’t available in India and there were few bodies globally,” he recalls. “I spoke with Philipp Chudalla at ARRI and requested a camera test for the film. He flew to India, and after testing the camera, I was impressed with it. “Securing those two bodies was nearly impossible, but ARRI came through for me by providing the cameras – not to mention the invaluable support from my executive producer, Ollwyn Dsouza, and Futureworks, my camera rental house. Since it was a new camera with the latest colour science and sensor, I collaborated with my long-time friend and exceptional colourist Andreas Brueckl for the colour grading of the film. So, Madgaon Express became the first theatrical feature film in India to be shot on the ALEXA 35.” Kemmu insisted on ample camera movement throughout the film. “We created a bogie of a train,” details Afsar. “The train is very compact, so we made one which enabled camera movement. There is an entire single shot where the camera moves along from the actors, entering the compartment and to the seats where they are sitting. I designed the rig for that, while Deshpande was very helpful in incorporating the movable walls and ceiling of the train bogie in her design. I’m the sort of person that doesn’t want to move the camera unless it’s required. You don’t move the camera or change the angle because you feel like it.
It should be helping your story one way or another,” he surmises. Afsar began his career working as a DOP for MTV India, which proved particularly useful when capturing the songs depicted in the film. “In India, we shoot many songs! I have a strong understanding of songs and music videos because of my background at MTV. MTV was a playground for me; it was like college after college. I also get requests to capture songs for specific films, so I go and shoot them. In the west, they don’t shoot songs the same way unless it’s for a musical. “There were 100 dancers for the Not Funny song,” he continues. “We had a fantastic choreographer, Vijay Ganguly, and Kemmu also has a great understanding of music as a director, which is extremely important. We didn’t want the songs to simply come across as songs – we wanted them to be a part of the story. They weren’t very long numbers; our songs are just situational and there aren’t many in the film.
“The most important thing for me is the people I’m working with,” admits Afsar. “You need people who are on the same wavelength and have the same energy. I was fortunate that Kemmu, Dsouza, Deshpande and my sound designer (Sohel Sanwari) had energies on the same level. “Even my second unit DOP and colourist were all in sync, and most importantly, we had truly amazing producers in Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Kassim Jagmagia and Rucha Pathak, as well as our team of editors – Anand Subaya and Sanjay Ingle.” Concluding his thoughts, Afsar states: “We all wanted to make a good film and we worked towards it diligently. All the departments were looking after each other along with the entire cast of the film, which was so involved and delivered brilliant performances. That’s the kind of environment you want to create when making a film.”
GOAN WILD The cast’s strong performances were captured with precision, employing the camera so as not to interfere with their methods
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