Debajit Changmai, the youth from Sivasagar made the region proud by winning a top technical award in the recently declared 58th national film awards. Changmai won the award for re-recording of the final mixed track of Hindi film ‘Ishqiya’. Moving out from Sivasagar to establish himself in Mumbai has seen a long journey for this sound technician who is now abounded with offers from top guns of Bollywood from Farhan Akhtar to Vipul Shah. Debajit Changmai shares his feeling with us in an interview.
Q: How does it feel to be nationally recognized coming from Assam, where the condition of cinema is so pathetic, and fighting all the odds in Mumbai?
A: It’s indeed a nice feeling...for an Indian technician this is the highest award and it’s undoubtedly a very proud moment for me. And also the fact that I’m representing Assam and the whole northeast in Mumbai makes me happy.
Q: How tough your journey has been so far?
A: Initially it was really tough. First to get a chance to work at a studio of your choice and then to survive in it in a place like Mumbai where so many talented people are waiting in the line to push you over to take your space. It was not easy for me to get a chance and go ahead especially when nobody from Assam was here in our profession. I had nobody who could guide me through. I had to struggle a lot and had to keep may patience to get an opportunity.
But once I got a chance it’s been a smoother journey comparatively. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to assist renowned mixing engineer Hitendra Ghosh and Anup Dev. Now it’s been nine years.
Q: How the sound technology came to you? Was it by chance or choice?
A: It was not by chance. It was a deliberate decision to be involved with the sound technology. It’s in my blood.
Q: You learnt the craft at Jyoti Chitraban in Guwahati at the starting. When you look back at it what do you feel and what would be your suggestions for it towards improvement?
A: For Jyoti Chitraban my suggestion would be that it should maximum exposure of what is happening around the world in these days. Technology has gone so far and I think it is a must to organize workshops with experience people working in the industry so that the students get an idea of the actual scenario.
Jyoti Chitraban needs people who are practically wise and at the same time having a good knowledge on the theory. Because this is a performance oriented field and being good just at the theory does not mean that one will be successful in his or her profession. You have to perform or perish.
Q: Your view on the current scenario of cinema in Assam?
A: At present we are not enjoying a good phase in Assamese cinema world. But for this pathetic condition we should blame ourselves only. Until and unless we make good films nobody is going to accept it in the name of Assamese cinema.
In between so many unwanted people came, they destroyed and left. Now, the people who are seriously working are suffering a lot.
So, it’s a high time we should be serious and work on the drawbacks. And here I would like to make a request that people should not come to the industry just for the sake of making money.
This is a creative field and creativity should get maximum importance than anything else.
Q: You have been in Mumbai for several years and gained experience on a thing or two. Now tell me why Assamese cinema is lagging far behind compared to the southern part or any others part of the country?
A: We are seriously lagging far behind because we are not exposing ourselves to the outside world. We are not trying to excel as far as technology is concerned. Story and content wise also there is nothing new in our films.
The time has arrived that we should encourage all the new talents and motivate them to showcase their potentiality. Only then they would be able to bring the required and very much necessary changes to the industry.
The government too should play a part like setting up mini theatres among others. Then another important thing is that our approach should be professional. Normally people here do work in a professional way.
These days the promotion of any object also plays an important role in the fate of that object. We need to be smarter in that way also to attract people.
Q: Your and Amrit Pritam’s success among others clearly show that there no dearth of talents in the region. But what are the obstacles according to you that the boys could not excel according to their potentiality?
A: See…on many occasions they don’t understand the profession properly. First of all you have to adjust to a particular working culture of a region. Then passion is another important thing, your passionate approach towards your works matters a lot.
One important thing which I experienced thoroughly that there is no short cut to success. To achieve your goals hard work is must.
Working with technology demands you to be at your toes always as it keeps on changing and you have to upgrade yourself accordingly. Besides that, to think a lot about your work is also important and to enjoy yourself what you are doing.
Q: Works at hand for the coming days and your future plans?
A: I have just finished ‘Ready’, which was directed by Anees Bazmee starring Salman Khan and Asin in the lead roles. It should hit the theatres in the first week of June.
Then renowned actor Pankaj Kapoor’s ‘Mausam’, Vipul Shah’s ‘Force’, Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Don 2’ etc are a few of my upcoming projects.
Besides, in future I would love to associate myself actively in Assamese film industry.
Q: The reason behind your success? Words for upcoming youths?
A: Hard work and sincerity. I always try to do something new in each project. I recently mixed ‘Dum Maro Dum’ in dolby 7.1 format which is first in India. My success belongs to my entire family. My brother, my wife all have been the great support for me.
One word for the upcoming guys please don’t just look at the glamour of this profession. It's a lovely but at the same time very tough profession both physically and mentally.
You will have to miss your social life so you need to be ready to sacrifice that. Don't come to this profession thinking it to be a 10 to 6 job. It is not important to work in a particular place to get success. Where we are staying is not important but what we are doing is more important.
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