The Indian film industry has witnessed tremendous metamorphosis over time. The arena of sound design is not an exception, where creative leaders have made revolutionary developments. They have embraced innovation and have delivered lasting audio experiences to the audience.
One such renowned personality leading the industry is Sohel Sanwari. He is a veteran freelancer sound designer, who has captivated the audience through excellent sound designing and editing.
In an interview with Insights Success, Mr. Sohel shares his professional journey, opinions, and upcoming projects.
Below are highlights of the interview between Mr. Sohel and Insights Success:
- Please introduce yourself to our readers and your professional journey so far.
Being a Sound Designer by profession, I have had an excellent journey so far, with my career spanning over a decade in this field. I have had the privilege to work on distinguished projects across varied genres in the film industry, making my work fulfilling, fun and insightful so far. The myriad of different experiences, each rich in its own way, have contributed to my success. I also believe in growing in my field and sharing my knowledge of industry know-how as the opportunity arises. - What inspired you to step into the sound production industry? Who were your role models growing up?
Since childhood, I was always intrigued by the world of sound. But over time, as I enjoyed watching films, I grew curious to know about how dialogues worked and how different sounds made an impact from approaching footsteps, leaves rustling in the wind to raindrops on the roof. On completing my graduation, I was determined to enter the field of sound design. At that time, Whistling Woods International (WWI) was in the stage of being launched and upon visiting, I was impressed with the superior infrastructure. Fortunately, I got an admission, and this helped me find my calling – I knew this is what I wanted to do. Mr. Nakul Kamte, was my role model while growing up and I recollect buying the DVD of his film, Lakshya, available at that time, just because I was enthralled by the effective use of sound of the war sequences in the film. Another of my role model and mentor is Mr. Rakesh Ranjan, who has inspired my work. I still remember his movie Taal, a musical blockbuster, where soundscape and silence were used to create a magical effect throughout the movie.
- Kindly share your views about the current volatile dynamics of the film making industry and how it may have affected your projects or work, if at all.
The unprecedented time has impacted every industry, and the film industry is no exception. Fear of visiting public spaces, social distancing, and closure of cinema halls for most of the year has had a downward spiraling effect with many projects being in limbo. On the other hand, audiences have lapped up digital content with many projects releasing to wider audiences on the web platforms. Fortunately, my home studio set up has enabled me to complete projects, even during the lockdown. With most studios becoming operational again and production houses taking utmost care to follow precautionary measures, shoots and post-production work should resume at a normal pace soon.
- We would love to know about your experience of working on any of the movies, series and other interesting projects you have worked on. Please tell our readers about the same.
At the onset, I would like to share that every project that I have worked on has been a learning experience. As they say, there is no bad experience – it just teaches what to do or what not to do. Amongst some of the memorable experiences that have stayed with me, is working on a movie titled, Harud, with military presence at every given point of time because of the sensitive location that we were shooting in. The terrain was challenging and if you have watched it, you will realise that there is no background score – the entire soundscape was created from scratch, in detail, including the footsteps of the characters walking on leaves to the sound of the wind and the silence.
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania was another great experience, where the entire unit was like a family of youngsters in their 20s and 30s, who were enthusiastic to try out new things and experiences. Yet another is the acclaimed web series, Four More Shots Please! where the main characters are female artists and recording sound involves bringing my best creativity in exotic locales and elaborate costumes. The experience working on Shershah has also been memorable. Shot in Kargil at a height of 18,000 feet, on a super steep incline in extreme cold and dusty conditions with no access to mobile networks, was a digital detox experience for the entire unit for almost 55 days! An experience that I hold close to my heart is working on Listen Amaya, where I worked with the late actor Farooque Shaikh and discovered the gem of a person behind the artist.
- What are the biggest challenges and struggles faced by a sound designer stepping into the industry?
Anyone entering a new field is likely to face a struggle. I have learnt that formal education helps you brace for a transition into a work world. This needs to be supplemented with adequate and more hands-on knowledge to build skills. Remaining open-to-all kinds of projects, irrespective of the labels or price tags attached can help you prove yourself and gain a foothold in the industry.
- Kindly mention any of your awards, accolades, and accreditations.
I have had the opportunity to work with some renowned names in the industry for some brilliant films across various genres. I won the Zee Cine Awards for Sound Design for Badrinath Ki Dulhania in 2018. Listen Amaya won the Best Film at New Jersey Independent South Cine Fest 2012. Harud won the best film in Urdu category at the 60th National Film Awards. Kapoor & Sons was nominated for Best Film at the 62nd Filmfare Awards. Four More Shots Please! has been nominated for the 2020 Emmy Awards.
- Please tell us about your future prospects and plans in the industry.
I look forward to doing more different projects to add to my knowledge base and expertise, by collaborating with my existing network of professionals, while also exploring new opportunities with creative masters across various mediums. The objective remains the same – to design captivating soundscapes that breathe life into stories and allow sound to become a ‘visible’ and respectable part of filmmaking.
