YouTuber Shreepad Gaonkar’s video takes viewers on a nostalgic trip capturing the sights and sounds of Mumbai — the roar of the crowd during a cricket match, Mumbai Local running at a high speed, people dancing to the drumbeats during Ganesh Utsav, children running on a playground, chai being made at a tea shop, sound of an aeroplane taking off and the glitz, glamour of fashion shows. The video ends with a line: ‘To ensure this life again... stay home now.’
Sreepad Gaonkar | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Shreepad, director of Mumbai-based Pineal Entertainment Networks Private Limited, has made 10 videos in the past four months focusing on Mumbai’s transformation since lockdown. On Day 1 of lockdown in March, Sreepad went to his building terrace with his DSLR to shoot an empty street and edited the scenes with the earlier footage he had of Mumbai. “View of a deserted street overwhelmed me; there was silence all over,” he says adding, the intent was to make people aware of the power of unity.
The street sounds define a city that never sleeps and Mumbaikars could connect to it. “One never imagined Mumbai to pause. It was hard to accept that Mumbai’s streets are without people and its hustle. But I felt the city was healing. Mumbai has always been pretty, no matter what the situation was. This city has a different vibe altogether,” he points out.
Travelling across India, Shreepad has been shooting commercial videos for sports and corporate events and has been using drones for the past three years. He considers the four-month break an opportunity to invest in his creativity and make videos for his YouTube channel. One of his videos shot on drone captured how Mumbai looked during lockdown and was shared on digital platform TheVibe. He says, “Drone footage is an add-on to your visualisation and perception. An aerial perspective has a dynamic feel but I also blend the shots with my DSLR footage. My videos are a mixture of possible perspectives.”
His ‘Maharashtra Lockdown’ video is a compilation of the footage he had shot two years ago during his travel across the State. “Two years ago I was working on a documentary and had travelled to Pune, Ratnagiri, Sholapur, Nagpur and Nasik. Since Maharashtra was badly affected with COVID-19, I used that footage and made this video to urge people to keep off the streets and avoid crowding.”
Delhi without chaos
The film Delhi Quarantined begins with the line Yeh hai Delhi, Dil waalon ki Delhi. Shot by Tarun Garg, the video shows the national capital without its chaos. As Abhimanyu Kalera’s voiceover recites this poem by Manas Ajmera, the scenes provide glimpses of the city and its tough spirit. In the words Jin baaghte hue logon ke paas, ek pal ka samay na tha, kaid gharon mein unhe, insaan bana rahi hai yeh Dilli... the film hopes this pause will make the human being a better person.
Screenshot of a film shot by Tarun Garg shared on digital platform TheVibe | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Tarun, pursuing his filmmaking course from Whistling Woods in Mumbai, came to Delhi during the lockdown. “I was bored and never saw Delhi like that,” he recalls. The view of trees from his apartment complex in Pitampura inspired him to take his drone camera to the terrace. “I saw green trees for the first time; usually the leaves have a yellow tint because of a layer of dust,” he shares.
With more than 40 recent shots, he blended the archival footage of an early morning visit to Qutub Minar and Red Fort to make it look like lockdown scenes. Besides clean, empty roads and a beautiful skyline, the focus was on empathy and positive attitude. “I lived in Mumbai for three years and experienced its fast lifestyle. I felt calm at home and could connect more with my family members. I wanted everyone to use the time to slowdown and reflect,” he says, adding that he shared his feelings with his friend Manas who wrote the poem. “The positive side of lockdown was that people were getting together and Nature was healing.”
The film is featured TheVibe’s edition of ‘Drone’s Eye’.