Josef Wirsching | Not To Be Forgotten | Cinemaazi
Josef Wirsching’s work as a pioneering cinematographer shaped the course of Indian cinema for decades to come. He was an essential part of Bombay Talkies’. Devika Rani and Najmul Hussain starrer Jawani Ki Hawa (1935) was heavily influenced by Wirsching’s vision. Coming from a rich tradition of German Expressionism, he often played with shadows and contrast in carefully constructed frames. With time, Wirsching became the chief cameraman at Bombay Talkies, and remained in this position until the disintegration of the production house. He worked in films like Jeevan Naiya (1936),Izzat (1937), Miya Biwi (1936) and Jeevan Prabhat (1937) under the banner. Wirsching’s work coupled with that of Kamal Amrohi in the Ashok Kumar-Madhubala Mahal unleashed the full range of his Expressionist sensibilities. The dark, shadowy aesthetic accentuated the elements of mystery and horror in the narrative. Interestingly, while Ashok Kumar had been a laboratory assistant to Wirsching in the early days of Bombay Talkies, the prominent cinematographer V.K. Murthy was a production manager for Mahal. Wirsching’s influence left a mark: V.K. Murthy’s visuals in Guru Dutt’s Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) closely follow Wirsching’s expressionist style. In this episode of Not to be forgotten, we are going to take a deep dive in the life of this famous German Cinematographer, Josef Wirsching and give you a vivid account of his illustrious & monumental career in Indian Cinema. Images courtesy : Wirsching Archives If anyone wishes to acquire these original never-seen-before copyright protected images from the personal archive of the Wirsching family, log on to www.wirschingarchive.com or email at georg.wirsching@gmail.com.
Josef Wirsching’s work as a pioneering cinematographer shaped the course of Indian cinema for decades to come. He was an essential part of Bombay Talkies’. Devika Rani and Najmul Hussain starrer Jawani Ki Hawa (1935) was heavily influenced by Wirsching’s vision. Coming from a rich tradition of German Expressionism, he often played with shadows and contrast in carefully constructed frames. With time, Wirsching became the chief cameraman at Bombay Talkies, and remained in this position until the disintegration of the production house. He worked in films like Jeevan Naiya (1936),Izzat (1937), Miya Biwi (1936) and Jeevan Prabhat (1937) under the banner. Wirsching’s work coupled with that of Kamal Amrohi in the Ashok Kumar-Madhubala Mahal unleashed the full range of his Expressionist sensibilities. The dark, shadowy aesthetic accentuated the elements of mystery and horror in the narrative. Interestingly, while Ashok Kumar had been a laboratory assistant to Wirsching in the early days of Bombay Talkies, the prominent cinematographer V.K. Murthy was a production manager for Mahal. Wirsching’s influence left a mark: V.K. Murthy’s visuals in Guru Dutt’s Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) closely follow Wirsching’s expressionist style. In this episode of Not to be forgotten, we are going to take a deep dive in the life of this famous German Cinematographer, Josef Wirsching and give you a vivid account of his illustrious & monumental career in Indian Cinema. Images courtesy : Wirsching Archives If anyone wishes to acquire these original never-seen-before copyright protected images from the personal archive of the Wirsching family, log on to www.wirschingarchive.com or email at georg.wirsching@gmail.com.