Pradeep Sarkar: The Midas touch and a heart of gold

Sant Tulsidas’ famous couplet says … ‘jab tu aye jagat mein, log hanse, tu roye. Jagat mein kaam aise karo ki jagat se jane ka samay, log roye aur tu hanse.” (When you came into this world, people laugh and you cry. But while you are here, you should do such work that when it is time to leave the world, everyone cries and you laugh.

The last journey of filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, who was fondly called Dada, from this world to the crematorium was testimony to the kind of life he lived, the kind of lives he has touched and what he meant to his colleagues, associates and family. The outpouring of grief, messages and the presence of ex-colleagues, colleagues, technicians, photographers, actors, models, camera men, bollywood stars, people who he was associated with, in large numbers, was an indication of the kind of impact he had on people.

Dada was someone with whom everyone build a relationship not only at a professional level but also at a personal level.

His craft, his work ethics, creative sensibilities brought to the industry a new style of

Story-telling. Anyone who worked with him by default imbibed a little bit of his genius. The best part was that he was so liberal and magnanimous in sharing what he knew best, he never held back.

Editors learnt from him his individualistic free flowing editing style, his cuts his dissolves, cameramen imbibed a bit of the acute sensitivities he brought to the table, choreographers learnt his sense of rhythm, production people learnt detailing, set designers learnt from his profound sense of aesthetics, the list is endless.

He put so much of himself into each project that each ad or each section of a film, could deliver a practical playbook of the various aspects of film making. Apocalypso Filmworks was the learning ground for many. Many learnt, found their own calling and built their own ventures. But Dada never held back. He spotted talent, groomed them, and gave them all he had.

So much was the respect his colleagues and past team members had for him that they would be at his door at short notice whenever he would call them. It just needed one call. The remarkable thing one noticed that, there were countless people with whom he a built a relationship that transcended the level of transactions. So, many times he would call people who worked with him earlier on projects and more often than not they would be keen to help him get the work done without even talking money or fee.

 His relationship with clients over the years was developed on the back of this one simple thing. Trust. Clients would swear by his sincerity and dedication. They were convinced that nothing would come from Pradeep Sarkar that was not good for the brand and the business. He was even willing to sacrifice  a creative urge at the cost of what is right for the brand. The Client and the creative agency were often astounded at how much of himself he would pour into each project.

He placed his work above everything. If there was anyone who followed the dictum “Work is Worship’ to the core, it was Dada. He gave it all, at the altar of his own health.

He pushed through difficult health issues but never compromised on what was needed to deliver a good film. Till the very end, he travelled to outstation locations, followed punishing shoot schedules only to deliver to his personal exacting standards.

In his personal life too, he gave it all. Whoever needed help with whatever resources, whenever, he was there. He supported his family, his colleagues, past and present. A heart and fist  that was open. Money and help flowed from him to others, freely, always.

Pradeep Sarkar was no ordinary creative person. He was the genius with the Midas touch. Whatever he touched he brought in a refreshingly different perspective through his nuanced storytelling, capturing the myriad textures of human emotions. That is why the work he did for Euphoria Dhoom Pichak Dhum, Mairi, the music video Ab Ke Savan (Shobha Mudgal) or the refreshingly effervescent Parineeta, or The Pappu Pass Ho Gaya commercials, or the Coke, Kurkure ads got etched forever in the collective consciousness of the audience.

It was a play of emotions that was almost transported from another world. The world of Pradeep Sarkar.

Dada was the industry’s darling. He loved all and the Industry loved him back. He flashed his creative brilliance through his work while his heart of gold flashed in its own luminosity. Creative excellence and Human excellence all rolled into one personality.

Om Shanti Om Shanti Om Shanti

My observations as a Family member, ( he was married to my sister), as an admirer of his work, I got into advertising because of him, as part of a creative agency while working with his Production House  and as a Producer at Apocalypso Filmworks for a brief period, where I worked closely with him on projects.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com