Cinematographer Shanker Raman can now put a prefix to his name u2014 National Award winner.
Cinematographer Shanker Raman can now put a prefix to his nameu00a0- National Award winner. Shanker received the award for Best Cinematography for Feature Film from President Pratibha Patil on October 21 for his breath-taking presentation of snow-capped mountains and rocky terrains of Ladakh in Frozen. 
Written by Shanker himself, Frozenu00a0- shot in black and white in extreme harsh weatheru00a0- talks of the life of a family struggling to make a living and cope with the intrusion of an army camp close to their home. CS spoke to him about the experience of shooting the film and his award:
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Penning it down
Frozen was a very personal project as I wrote the script and gave life to different characters. The idea came from Shivajee Chandrabhushan, who's the director of the film. It turned out to be an exciting story to flesh out. The story is universal in portraying a family's struggle for survival, yet charming.
On the sets
Though we worked in temperature minus 20 degree celcius and high altitudes, we were well prepared. All thanks to our line producer Allan Mclaex. He managed the transportation of equipment and crew and organised everything to the best of his ability, given the small budget. We had carried enough warm clothes and used Reiki to keep ourselves warm. However, we were all so enthusiastic about making the film that nothing mattered. Also cold climates don't tire you out soon, and so we used to work long hours.
The release
Frozen did the rounds of many international film festivals. Made in 2007, we had qualified for World Cinema at Cannes. But unfortunately, we didn't have the print with us then and so couldn't screen the film. It also saw a release in major metros in India, but went mostly unnoticed as we didn't have any monies for marketing and promoting it. This is a lesson we have to learn if we want independent cinema's future to improve. However, another reason for Frozen not ringing bells at the box-office was that many had seen it in private screenings or at festivals.
Getting acknowledged
It feels absolutely great to get recognition for your work. It feels like there's a reason to carry on. I never thought that it mattered whether I get an award or not, but getting appreciation for your work brings you a different high. Getting recognition at the right time in your career is very important as you can put more back into your work.
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