PRASHANT RAI cinematographer

12 March 2006. I was fed up with the cold in Prague, dipping as low as minus 19 degree on one occassion.  With the ides of March around corner and living on high latitudes I was expecting Spring season to usher in full strength of colours and style. Instead I saw more snow fall. Two days of continuous snowfall covered everything – the roads, pavements, parks, rivers, and buildings in a cloak of white.  It was beautiful because it was a novel sight for me but the moment my concentration strayed leaving my thoughts alone – i felt depressed. That’s not a w orry though because Prague has pleanty of things to cheer you up.

So, I was walking to the metro station and I saw all the cars completely wrapped in snow. I was wondering how do they recongnize their car. It might take you an hour to dig your car out of the snow and then you find it’s not y0urs! Man how’s that for starting your day with.

We used to drink in the same bar but I didn’t know who he was. I was drinking with Adrian and was well past midnight when the bald man in black trench coat with strong imposing eyes entered. Adrian introduced Oto as a vocalist from J.A.R., a very popular band in Europe. May be it didn’t mean much to me. What registered in my mind was the warmth with which he made friends with me and was easy to converse with. We all drank to good friendship.

Fast Forward to May 2006. I received an SMS from Oto about rock show where he would be performing. He had gotten a special VIP pass for me. So we met early at Bala Bar, had few shots, hailed a cab, and reached the venue. I had never been to a rock show in Europe so it was a shock to see a humungous crowd. We went to the VIP enclosure.

We sat down and were having beer when Oto introduced me to other members of his band Dan, Roman, and Michael. J.A.R. was supposed to perform the closing numbers so we had enough time. Oto took me out to see how it feels to be in the crowd. It was a festive mood and fans were enjoying beer amidst loud music. We were standing at the far end from the stage where the crowd was slightly thinner when a lady dressed in emerald green gown flanked by four body guards in black tuxedos passed by.

‘Who is she?’ I asked while still gawking.

You don’t know? Oto was surprised. I just shook my head. He began to smile.

‘Eva Green’

‘Eva Who…?

‘The actress from Casino Royale’ Oto remarked.

‘Oh!’ before I could give any excuse for not able to recognize a Hollywood star from Kingdom of Heaven, Oto burst out laughing at me. I decided to go slow on beer. We moved back stage when we realized the fans had noticed Oto’s presence in the crowd.

Half an hour before midnight, J.A.R. got on the stage. Oto arranged for me to stand right in front of the stage before the barricade. It was exciting. The real exhilaration began when the band started. The 8,000 strong crowd was going out of control. I would not be exaggerating if I say they were going berserk. When the band announced that superpero would be the last number for the evening the crowd breached the barricade at many places. They wanted the band to continue all night long. I had my sympathies with the cops who were trying their best in terms of crowd control.

After the show was over it took almost an hour for Oto obliging his diehard fans with autographs and requests for snapshots. I felt this would be unending. An alternate plan for me was to go and crash in one of the V.I.P. tents till Oto is through with his fans. You just don’t need talent but abundant energy too to be a popular icon.

On our way back, I was quiet because I was totally taken in by the events of the evening and the wonderful performance of Oto and JAR. Oto asked me if I liked the show. I nodded first and after a pause I blurted out

‘You are a fucking rock star, Oto!’

He just smiled and kept looking straight. He gave some instructions in Czech to the cab driver then looked at me

‘Let’s have some more beer at Bala Bar’ he said firmly. There was no way I could have said no. It is a rock star’s party.

Enroute to Cape Point, i came across this picturesque sight. Phaldie stopped the vehicle and I got down to take a picture. There was a man

seated at the edge of the cliff, leaning on some kind of balustrade. Phaldie, explained he is a look out for the shark fins. If he sights any, he raises an alarm so that all surfers can scurry back to the beach. No shark attacks in the recent past though.

…The first class coach, though luxurious, was empty. The only occupants beside the conductor were a wiry old man in a black jacket and I. He appeared fitter than most people his age. His grace lay not in his straight spine but in the smooth gray hair that contrasted to his black leather jacket. He resembled an old-fashioned headmaster, once an authority, still clinging on to his dogmatic ways. Every time I took a picture and the camera produced a low whine, he jerked his fragile neck as if a gun had accidentally fired in the carriage!…

Writing – Non Fiction page

A mother walks with her baby past hutments along a narrow road that leads to the Candolim Beach.

The photograph was taken in the month of March, towards the end. The skies are very hot and clear. surprisingly, as a local development, it rained in the afternoon. when the clouds finally cleared around sunset – what I saw was a crimson red sky. It was quite an unusual sight in Goa for the month of March.

Excerpts from The Pheromone Scent Trail .

Over a period, I discovered their passion for scooters, which they had harboured within them with such fondness that even I began to wonder whether scooters were the most convenient means of transportation. Their fascination for this unique two stroke domesticated Italian machine began when they had visited Rome three years before on a vacation. The Roman holiday seemed to have played a crucial role in changing their outlook towards attaining a cosier mobility on two wheels without having to go BOOM BOOM on a thousand cc racing bike or having to wear that rustic hirsute look on a Harley Davidson cruiser.

To read more click on the Sorrento Page -

the journey due south

The woman eventually got up to go to the washroom. When she passed me, I saw the fat man had ample reason for vicarious enjoyment. She wore a suffocating tight pair of tiger skin leotards. A thong parted her generous hips. Her tank top ended provocatively short of her navel, and she swayed awkwardly, her baby tucked carelessly under an arm. The fat man loved the exhilarating parade, couldn’t control himself. The moment she disappeared into the washroom, he clapped and laughed gutturally, tears rolling down his lecherous cheeks. He cupped both hands into a hollow and looked at me meaningfully, hinting at a pair of something. What something? A pair of eyes, ears, tits, or cheeks? What? Cheeks, he clarified later.

read more at the pheromone scent trail page

 As twilight approached the scene became more intense – a dull bluish grey light engulfed the surrounding and there were small fires in many fields. Their smoke hung low in the air like a parasol. I took a seat on a milestone and watched for few minutes. There was something strange about this twilight – it just refused to go away and hung with me like a companion.

TO READ MORE, CLICK ON ‘KASHMIR LOCATION RECCEE – 11 WEEKS’ PAGE.

I held an audition in the school premises and was surprised at the response I got for “No Pay” roles that I offered. Many male Americans applied for the English speaking part of Devil and a mix of American and Czech girls applied for the role of Angel. I will skip the casting episode as of now because I did ruffle feathers of some seasoned American actors who did small significant parts whenever a major Hollywood production came to Prague…

TO READ MORE. CLICK ON THE ‘FILMMAKING’ PAGE