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Woman with a view

Firdaus Ali

She's seen everything in India through a lens -- the misty mountains, the verdant valleys and the clear streams of north India, to the paddy fields and the deserts in the heartland down to the rich, ornate temples of the south.

"I've been all around the world, but, frankly, can't find a place as exotic and colourful as India," says Mitra Sen, who is now famous as the director of the award-winning film, Just A Little Red Dot.

A teacher by profession, moviemaking is a passion for Sen. However, photography has her enamored these days.

"Photographs tell you what words fail to express sometimes..." says Sen. The series, Faces of India, has been compiled from photographs shot by Sen during her several visits to India over a decade. She says her country of origin awed her on her very first visit in 1982.

"I wanted to share with the world what I had glimpsed of India. And the best way I knew then was through photographs," says the Indo-Canadian filmmaker.

So, whether it was the dew-tipped grass on the grounds of the Taj Mahal or shy, charming rural brides, Sen was ready, camera in tow, zooming and clicking away at the ceaseless wonders in the magical land that is called India. With each visit, her fascination for India grew. Born in London, England and raised in Toronto -- Sen grew up in the west, having her own misgivings of India.

"I was always under the impression that India was a nation bridled in poverty and penury. My visits to the land only managed to prove how wrong I was," says Sen. More than the country's natural beauty, it was the people of India that caught her fancy.

"Simple, yet so vibrant. Content yet having questions writ large in their expressive eyes. They were the focus of my camera's eye," she says.

Faces of India was exhibited in Toronto recently and the Indian tourism department chose one of the photographs for a promo ad campaign. Sen, won rave reviews for the series, which was dubbed by media as, "a realist's portrayal of India's spirit and people" and "One that captures the Indian soul".

The series manages to show India in a different light. While the north is magnificent with its lofty mountains and gentle streams, the east spellbinds you with its beaches and architecture. The west has vibrant colours, rich costumes, deserts, and forts with the bright sun giving it a golden glow -- and the south astounds you with intricate architecture, carved temples palaces and more.

"India is full of warm and welcoming people who open their arms and welcome you into their homes and hearts. They are people who have so little but are willing to offer so much. They have no riches, but are so resourceful. We have a lot to learn from them,'' says Sen of her experience during the photo shoot.

The filmmaker drove across India in a rented car, halting constantly to capture rare subjects on her lens.

"It was a constant struggle for the driver to reach his destination as I couldn't stop clicking,'' smiles Sen.

Her series sharply differs from the works of previous photographers who have highlighted the poverty and penury of India.

"My works are positive. It is about hope, optimism and beauty,'' says Sen. With Torontonians making a beeline to catch the exhibition, Sen had to make several reprints of her series.

The photographs can now be seen adorning homes and galleries across Canada.

The havelis of Jaisalmer, golden deserts of Rajasthan, archaic fortresses of Mysore and echoing palaces of Jaipur all received equal attention from her.

Charmed by simple lumberjacks, or rustics who went about their daily chores, she found their lucid lifestyle simply amazing. She remembers clicking a shot of a lonely lady standing in a doorway, as she drove by -- a photograph which still haunts her and which she immodestly calls her "very best shot".

She also remembers a camel boy who helped her explore the deserts of Rajasthan. And, all he wanted in return was a coat from Canada, as it was too cold for him in the winter.

She ventured to Nepal too for one photo session and remembers taking snapshots of girls working in fields nearby. The girls took offence and ran after her, scythes in hand.

"Obviously they did not fancy themselves in glossy photographs. Realizing my life was at stake, I, of course, asked the driver to step on the gas," laughs Mitra, who is still to get over the success of her film, Just A Little Red Dot.

Made in 1996, the film talks about racism, which is an issue in Canada. The film won the Grand Trophy award for educational film and the Gold World Medal at the 39th annual New York Film Festival some time back and has been screened at 25 international film festivals across the globe, winning over 12 international awards so far.

It was shown at the Children's Film Festival in India last year. A packet of bindis presented to Sen by some of her students was the inspiration for this film. A symbol of ethnic beauty and tradition in the east, it became an emblem for ridicule and mockery in the west.

"Many people in this world are singled out for their beliefs, faiths and ideologies. I decided to make a film out of this personal experience using students from across Canada to act in the film," says Sen.

The 35-minute documentary is set in the multicultural, mosaic society of Canada and tackles the issue of racism with a sensitive and humane approach. Rather than harp on the issue of racism, Sen has used a simplistic storyline laced with humour to tackle the issue in a positive way. A scene from the film has a black boy wondering about the bindi and saying to himself, "It's easy to peel a bindi, but what should I do with the colour of my skin?"

"The film touched my heart and I'm sure many have felt this way after seeing it,'' says Sen, who graduated in fine arts with a major in film production from the York University in Toronto. Her first student film, Bridge in the Gap won her the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Best Documentary award. She later worked as an assistant director in the well-known Canadian television series, Degrassi Junior High.

Kit Hood, the director, producer and creator of the famous tele-series that ran for several years in Canada was impressed by the potential of the story of Just A Little Red Dot and agreed to be its executive-producer. Sen directed and wrote the script.

"Because I had seen it with my own eyes, the story was very easy to tell," she says. Her family comprising mother Ira, father Dr Amar and sister Julia are proud of her accomplishments.

"As a child, Mitra was always been interested in the arts. Whether it was painting, poetry or writing. They all fascinated her. Cinema more so, as it has universal appeal and photography because it is one of the many aspects of cinema," says Ira.

Sen currently teaching drama in a local Toronto school but is gearing up for a new project. She plans to focus on India yet again, this time for a docu-drama on celluloid.

"I want to portray India's people and her natural beauty while weaving a beautiful, perceptive storyline along the way. Let the world know India for what she is... as I have seen her...''.

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