Darjeeling boy’s road to sets of Jism-2 - 36-year-old cinematographer with no formal training finds toehold in tinsel town

TT; VIVEK CHHETRI. Darjeeling, Aug. 23: A Darjeeling youth with no formal training in film-making has made it to the sets of Jism-2 as a cinematographer. Nigam Bomzan was selected by the Bhatt camp for one of their most hyped films of the year that stars Sunny Leone.

 “After completing my schooling at Vidya Vikash Academy in Darjeeling I went to Delhi and enrolled myself at Zakir Hussain College. I was a confused kid, not sure about my calling, although I was passionate about still photography,” the 36-year-old said. In 1999, director and scriptwriter Kabir Khan was impressed with Bomzan’s photography that was shown at a talent hunt contest in Delhi.

 “He took me as an assistant for a documentary, Fifty Days War, which was based on the Kargil War in 1999,” said Bomzan. Since that day, it was a story of hard work. “I was not paid regularly. At times, I was jobless and penniless.

 I have done all sorts of work, including depositing electricity bills, telephone bills and cheques (for people in the locality), basically the job of a peon. But the struggle taught me to respect all jobs and never lose focus,” Bomzan told the mass communication students at St Joseph’s College yesterday at an interactive session.

 Although Bomzan has never done a course in film-making, he advised the students to “read a lot, watch good films and concentrate on the theory and not just practical work in college”. “After working as an assistant for various projects (including Paap directed by Pooja Bhatt), I got an opportunity to work as a cinematographer for Arjun Rampal starrer Fox during 2007-8,” said Bomzan.

 Soon after Fox Bomzan was chosen by director Tanvir Ahmed to work in Ada….A Way of Life, which had A.R. Rehman as the music director. Bomzan in Darjeeling on Wednesday.

 (Suman Tamang) Bomzan also worked for Blood Money, produced by Mukesh Bhatt, before he was selected for Jism 2 early this year. “At times, I have shot for 42 hours with just a couple of hours’ rest before managing to sleep like a log for 18 hours at a stretch.

 While working as an assistant, I had to face hostile attitude from other crew members and I have cried almost everyday after a bad day in office,” said Bomzan. “Dino (Morea, the co-producer of Jism-2) called me up one day and asked me if I was interested in doing Jism-2.

 Then I spoke to Pooja (Bhatt) and everything fell in place,” he said. The film was extensively shot in Sri Lanka and some portions in Jaipur and Goa. “During the shooting in Sri Lanka, Mahesh sahab tweeted something on the lines ‘my cinematographer is a magician.’

 Pooja Bhatt (the director) also commented saying ‘Nigam was the man of the match.’ This was one memorable moment,” Bomzan said. “I am discussing other projects but I still haven’t signed any new film.” So does he consider himself as having truly arrived on the big stage? “I am only focused on my job. The moment I think I have made it, I will have to pack my bags and return home.”