BENGALURU: When US-based cinematographer Akanksha Shyam, who is from the city, first laid eyes on French filmmaker Michel Gondry’s surrealist romantic comedy Mood Indigo, she confirmed the realisation that filmmaking was her calling. She recently was the recipient of many accolades for her short film Afloat (2022), including Best US Cinematographer at the New York Cinematography Awards 2022.
“Mood Indigo left a deep impression on me. It was inspiring how they were able to create a world full of inanimate objects that come to life using a mix of live action and stop motion. It inspired me to go into film and try to create innovative visual narratives. Afloat was also inspired by this film. It has been an incredible journey with this film, after bagging awards at numerous film festivals and having screened the film in both the US and India,” says Shyam, who is working on a feature film titled Mirror, a coming-of-age psychological drama about a teenager with alopecia who is attempting to recover from the trauma of losing her father at a young age.
Shyam, who is interested in surrealism and hyperrealism in films, believes there is a big scope for such films in India. “We forget that Indian cinema has a vast history of experimentation and creativity. The earlier periods of parallel cinema in India had a lot of themes and styles revolving around surrealism. Even now, there is a resurgence as streaming platforms are giving young filmmakers opportunities to experiment,” she shares, adding that she is always on the lookout for working opportunities in India, and would love to come to Bengaluru.
“I spent a while in Bengaluru working at a production house called Studio 33 and I got to work with big clients and learn the ropes with incredible people. I love the city, the people, and the food, and would go back in a heartbeat,” reiterates Shyam, who recently worked on an independent feature film called Girls Will Be Girls produced by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s new venture, Pushing Buttons Studios.Among her many achievements, including being a BAFTA newcomer participant in 2020.
“For the past three years, I have been a member of the BAFTA and a part of the Newcomer Program. It has been a surreal experience to have been able to be a part of this community that is bursting with talent and potential. The BAFTA North American division has been supporting young talent in various parts of the continent. Their LA contingent has been the largest yet. The programme attempts to bring together people in different disciplines of film to network and find community in their respective cities as ‘newcomers’ into those cities,” says Shyam.
In her childhood, Shyam grew up in an environment of Carnatic music and dance, which she credits greatly for her film career. “As cheesy as it sounds, I have found that learning music, dance, and painting at a young age gave me the freedom to pour my emotional life into my work. Having an outlet can change things for anyone who is trying to find a voice. I believe it gave me the ability to process major life events and tough decisions through art. Having been exposed to art early on also gave me a larger vocabulary to look back on to express and relate to the world,” she says.