Subrata Mitra

Subrata Mitra Biography

Subrata Mitra is perhaps the most talented cinematographer of Indian cinema. He is known for his association with many classic Indian movies of doyen of Indian film making - Satyajit Ray. He gained international acclaim for The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) of Satyajit Ray that includes the movies -  Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959). He debut film field with the first packet of The Apu Trilogy – Pathar Panchali in 1955. In association with this renowned director, he has worked as a cinematographer of Jalsaghar (1958), Devi (1960), Kanchenjungha (1962), Mahanagar (1963), Charulatha (1964) and Nayak (1966). He has also been associated with great directors, Ismail Merchant and James Ivory for many films. He received National Film Award for Best Cinematography for the Hindi movie, New Delhi Times in the year 1986.

Mitra was born into a middle-class Bengali family in 1930. As a child who was interested in watching movies, though of foreign languages. In those days, Hollywood and British movies were shown in India. While at college, he decided that he will choose either cinematography or architecture as his career. Failing to find work as a camera assistant he reluctantly continued his college studies. In 1950, when Jean Renoir came to Kolkata to shoot for a movie he attempted to get a job. His father reluctantly gave him permission to watch shooting of Jean’s movie, ‘The river’. He made use of those experiences by noting all those he had learnt.

At the age of 21 Mitra became a director of photography. The movie was none other than milestone movie of Indian cinema, Pather Panchali. After that he didn’t look back and has captured lively moments of most of Ray’s films. He introduced bounce lighting, which he pioneered while filming Aparajito (1956). His other noted movies are Teesri Kaun, The Householder, Shakespeare Wallah and Bombay talkie.

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Updated: February 17, 2014