Sourav Dutta

31/08/2025

A New way to share our latest work from Film Karigar

The first is out. Read and share with all.

Your monthly update on projects, learning opportunities, and stories from behind the lens.

21/08/2025

The indie music video 'Choti Si Baat' by Amarabha Banerjee & Saby (The Guitar Baba) is a striking example of how powerful visuals can be created with minimal gear when location and timing are chosen wisely. Shot entirely in natural light using a Sony FX3 paired with a 70–200 mm f/2.8 lens and a variable ND filter, the film proves that cinematic beauty doesn’t always require elaborate lighting setups. Instead, it leans on the expressive qualities of natural light, whether it’s the golden hour glow that lends warmth and intimacy, the soft diffusion of midday shade, or the dramatic rim light of a backlit frame. The Sony FX3’s dynamic range and low-light capability capture these nuances faithfully, while the 70–200 mm lens provides visual compression, shallow depth of field, and subject isolation that heighten emotional impact. The variable ND filter ensures consistent control over exposure, allowing the filmmaker to preserve depth and motion blur even under changing light conditions. What stands out most is how the choice of environment and time of day becomes central to the storytelling, each location feels alive with natural character, and each frame reflects the emotion of the song without artificial enhancement. The result is a video that looks polished and intentional yet remains grounded in simplicity, achieved with nothing more than one camera, one lens, and the sun. This project reminds us that cinematic storytelling is not dictated by the amount of equipment we carry but by how thoughtfully we use light, space, and time to serve the narrative.

Watch the full song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRIIIs3GIGg

17/08/2025

Cinema is not only about the stories we tell on screen, but also about the story we write behind the camera. And if that story is rooted in inequality, silence, and oppression, what does it say about the world we are shaping through our art?

The film industry must rise above its patriarchal foundations and authoritarian structures to embrace democracy at work. Only then can it truly claim to be the voice of the people.

The film industry has always been projected as a dream factory, where talent meets opportunity, where stories are born, and where imagination comes alive. But behind this glossy exterior lies a reality that is often harsh, unequal, and deeply patriarchal.

08/08/2025

Here’s your chance to work and learn alongside an experienced documentary crew from Film Karigar. From pre-production to post, you'll witness the entire process unfold and contribute to it hands-on.

Limited workshop slots available.
Be part of something meaningful. Join us for our next project and learn while creating.

This workshop is for:
1. Film and media students seeking real-world exposure.
2. Self-taught filmmakers looking for professional mentoring.
3. Creators who want to explore the balance between art and commercial work.
4. Anyone serious about building a career in documentary, brand, or corporate storytelling.

To apply, write to [email protected] with the subject line "Workshop with FilmKarigar".

Last date to apply, August 15, 2025.
The workshop will take place in Maharashtra.

07/08/2025

Written by Pratik Dhole

Just finished a corporate shoot as the 1st Assistant Cameraman with the team at Film Karigar. The shoot wasn’t a film, and it wasn’t a full-fledged documentary either. It sat somewhere in the middle, requiring the precision of a commercial and the sensitivity of non-fiction.

We had to make real employees feel at ease, set up the best possible frames, and still not interrupt their work. All in the same room, over three days. And somehow, we pulled it off seamlessly. What really stood out for me was the trust and space I was given. My seniors were professionals, sharp and experienced, but they never made learning feel like a weakness.

I was allowed to make decisions, encouraged to think on my feet, and even got the chance to lead the shoot briefly with my DOP asking me for instructions. That kind of trust means everything.

While the team belonged to the industry, the environment made it feel okay to still be a student. To ask questions. To observe. To absorb. And I did.
We were shooting speakers who talked about coding, open source, and tech. These were subjects I had no background in. But as the shoot progressed, learning about that world helped us slowly build the vibe of the film.

Grateful to be part of a team that lets you grow while doing the work.

02/08/2025

She didn’t want to vanish quietly. She wanted her story, her people, her land to be seen, to echo, to exist.

Read the full article -
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/put-your-soul-hand-walk-its-film-thought-ponder-filmkarigar-qjphf

01/08/2025

Written by Lakhan Chaudhari

Honestly, working at Film Karigar kind of happened by an accident. I joined them as my fiancé Abhilasha was not able to go for the shoot, she gave my reference and I ended up there.

I already knew Film karigar is into documentary films, corporate films etc. They mostly do documentaries. After watching their work, I was genuinely impressed. I got inspired by Sourav Dutta, founder of Film karigar. He is a guy with a fresh vision for films ,he sees cinema differently, in a way that really stands out.

Once I started interacting with the team, I felt good vibes gradually. I meet the team members Sourav Dutta , Cinematographer Prateek Srivastava, Abhilasha Kulkarni , Pratik Dhole, and Madhab Poddar. A small team yet they do some seriously great work. They’ve got this raw instinct to bring stories to life on screen.

I saw the Frappe corporate shoot they did of which I was a team member as well . Here I saw everyone’s voice matters, everything’s transparent, and the team takes decisions together. That sense of freedom is literally how the production runs.

One thing that stood out was that these guys are punctual. Always in the flow, no chaos, just pure focus. It’s something that makes them different.

The shoot itself was amazing ,shooting in natural light was a completely new experience for me. Usually, shoots are hectic and stressful, but here, atmosphere was chill and worthy pleasant.

I honestly wanna work with them again. This team deserves to grow bigger, and I hope more and more awesome projects come their way.

In the picture - Lakhan (on right), during the recent shoot for hashtag

30/07/2025

A must watch documentary film.

Human right activists, journalists, teachers and local people came together to document the evolving nature of education from the heart of India's longest-running armed rebellions. Bastar in Chattisgarh has seen violence over decades, children were displaced, education became a victim of internal conflict. Human right violation and right to education were seen as far fetched dreams, until a few local teachers did something extraordinary. A documentary film made entire by local people, using local resources is now streaming on YouTube. Take your time out to watch the film and invite the team to discuss reality at Bastar.

A big shout out to Prasun Goswami & Raunak Shivhare for making this possible.

Directed by Prasun Goswami and Raunak Shivhare, Shimmering Odyssey tells the untold story of education in the shadow of India's one of the longest-running ar...

23/07/2025

Follow Film Karigar on

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7353410309371346944/?actorCompanyId=105079574

10/06/2025

The very urban spaces that were meant to create proximity — to jobs, to services, to one another — began instead to breed alienation. Apartment blocks rose high, but the hearts inside them grew distant. Flyovers criss crossed through neighbourhoods, but human connection struggled to find ground. Malls replaced markets, silence replaced street chatter, and “busyness” became a badge of worth.

Read the full blog - https://shorturl.at/iBGRq

27/05/2025

Schools are increasingly adopting filmmaking as an innovative method to assess students' understanding of literature. Instead of traditional book reports, students create short films or book trailers that encapsulate key themes, character developments, and pivotal scenes from their readings. This visual storytelling approach enables students to construct "non-linguistic representations" of the text, which research indicates can enhance comprehension and positively influence reluctant readers' engagement with reading.

By engaging in the filmmaking process, students delve deeper into the material, fostering critical thinking and creativity. This method not only makes literary analysis more engaging but also provides educators with a dynamic tool to evaluate students' interpretative skills and grasp of the narrative.

For a more detailed exploration of this approach, you can refer to the full article here:

These creative alternatives to book reports can spark imaginations, boost comprehension, and reignite a love for reading.

02/05/2025

Read the full post
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJI9SpJIJbA/?img_index=1