Honoured with the first ever award for sound re-recording in Bollywood for Bandhan, BK Chaturvedi is widely recognised as one of the most gifted sound technicians of recent times.
With a long inning from 1970-2011, few others have been instrumental in producing hit films in Indian cinema for a formidable period of fifty years, as has Chaturvedi. Besides Tridev that won him the Filmfare Award for best sound recordist in 1990 and Mrityudand for best re-recording in 1997, Chaturvedi has to his credit more than a hundred box-office hits including The Burning Train, Baghban, Zameer, Gupt, Mohra, Betaabi and Deewana Mastana, among others.
In what is not known to many, the ace sound recording artist spent influential years of his childhood in Nainital where his father was posted as a Government doctor. In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, the genius mixer of sound, dialogue and music, took a trip down memory lane, recalling his days in Nainital which he vouches is the most beautiful place he has ever seen. Excerpts from the conversation:
When did you live in UttarakhandIJ
I spent four unforgettable years of my adolescence in the beautiful hill State, in Nainital. My father was posted at the Government hospital there from 1956 to 1960. I was a young boy full of joy-de-vivre and studied in Chetram Shah Inter College. After shifting to Mumbai, I had another stint in the hill station to shoot a documentary film for the Government of Uttar Pradesh in the eighties.
What was the favourite aspect of being in NainitalIJ
The best thing about Nainital was the lake. I have travelled all over the country for shooting and have even been abroad, but I am yet to see a better sight. The Geneva lake of Switzerland also fails in comparison. The boats and the yachts looked beautiful. You could cover the entire lake in 25 minutes. The other lakes were too long for my liking. On one side, there were hills and on the other side there was the Mall Road. It was gorgeous, nature’s wonder at its best. I can never forget the day I saw snowfall for the first time!
Did your stay in Nainital have any impression on youIJ
Oh, very much! Those simple, happy days in the breathtaking lake-town of Nainital shaped my character, my values. life in Nainital was very basic and very beautiful. People were honest and content. As teenagers, we were very innocent. It was a close- knit community with a strong sense of fraternity. I remember the strong sense of help that prevailed among locals. Materialism, avarice, the indifference of urban consumerism was non-existent. It was a very different place back then. And these are the human values that I imbibed too.
Any other difference that you sense today from yesteryearsIJ
I am very disappointed because the region has lost its old charm. During my childhood, Nainital was a crime-free zone. I remember how a major furore had arisen when a tourist had indulged in the act of eve-teasing a girl. These things were unheard of. The culture now seems to be deteriorating. Also, at that time, there were no cars to be seen. Even the VIPs would walk on the Mall. Nainital has become overcrowded. There is an overload of cars. When I last visited Nainital, I rued that there was hardly any difference between Mumbai and Nainital. The maintenance of roads to the peaks like the China Peak, Tiffin Top and Snow View was bad. The serenity of Almora appealed to me more, but now even that seems to be dissipating.
Your experience in Bollywood spans more than half a century. And in these fifty years you have worked with some of the most successful directors and producers. Which according to you are the best sound effects filmsIJ
Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand in which I gave sound effects that would blend well with background recitals of the renowned flautist Raghunath Seth. I am also happy with my work in the films of Rajiv Rai, namely, Tridev, Mohra and Gupt; and of course there was The Burning Train. The sound effects for The Burning Train were recorded in India and were mixed in Twikenham Studio in london. In 1980, facilities for stereophonic recording were not available in India. I remember how sound professionals in london were amazed at how we had managed to do such good work with outdated equipment.
All films made under the banner of BR Chopra have impressed me. Films like Insaf ka Tarazu, Nikaah, Aaj ki Awaz and Baghban have the power to shake the conscience of society and I am really proud to be associated with them. I also have a lot of respect for films of Mrinal Sen, many of which I have mixed at the BR Threatre, which I looked after for over 20 years.
And who is the greatest recording artist of all timesIJ
Undoubtedly, Mangesh Desai who I idolise as my Guru!