Sound Designers’ diaries with Parikshit Lalwani

Sound Designers’ diaries with Parikshit Lalwani 

Production Sound Mixer, Sound Designer Parikshit in conversation with Directors’ Diaries

I have known Parikshit since 1999-2000, my days with Mukta Arts Ltd. I was an assistant director (intern) on Mr Subhash Ghai’s film, Taal (1999) It my first film as an assistant. 

Parikshit was a sound engineer who literally lived at our sound studio, Audeus. Prior to this he was employed with Pace Communications, the company hired to setup Mukta Art’s state of the art sound studio. 

I noticed he always looked like he has befriended owls or he does not get enough sleep. I thought he was a slave of the studio who sometimes slept on the sofa in the reception area, just as even we assistants did during long-haul shooting schedules and post production. 

I got familiar with him when he began working with the Audiographer & Sound Designer of our film Rakesh Ranjan ji. Energetic, quick thinker and enthusiastic, Parikshit always came across to me like a carbonated cola waiting to pop open. 

Audio makes up nearly 60 percent of our senses. It is a field in filmmaking that has yet to get its due respect. In my experience, few filmmakers give Sound Designers the respect and time and monies they truly deserve to do a far better job on their films. Yet they do their very best. I decided to feature Sound Designers on my blog to pay them our humble tribute. Parikshit is the second sound designer I have featured. 

A river begins someplace

Born and brought up in Juhu, Parikshit was not particularly fond of movies during his growing years. Cinema halls were not the regular fare during his formative years. Neighbors would come over to watch television on their black & white TV set. His earliest and clearest memory of movies is watching Waaris 1988 and Dil Toh Pagal Hai 1997. 

His father is an engineer designing cranes, and his mother works in the finance field in a chemical factory. They were not film buffs, and neither Parikshit nor his parents had any ambition for him to become a part of the filmmaking profession. Parikshit had wanted to be an Air Force pilot and later an engineer. But destiny.... 

Looking inside his automated toys

“Yes. My father had pointed out my toys do not last, because I keep opening them up to look inside!” (Laughs) From the outside, the processes inside things are often invisible. (Thinks) You know, cinematic sound has that quality. The immense efforts sound designers make behind creating the correct sound for the moving images goes unnoticed; Just like we do not realise the complexities of the human body right below our skin, unless the skin is cut open or our heart and brain are exposed when we re operated on for a surgery. Only then we get a first-hand view of how much is happening inside our own body. The processes behind our tranquil faces are all covered behind the naqab or the shroud of our skin. 

Same for the audio-visual medium of cinema - Unless a common man observes a film’s post production, a general person will never know how much thought and physical work goes into the near perfect marriage of sound and image.” Said Parikshit.

Angel

His parents were not connected to the music nor film business. However, Parikshit’s paternal uncle Ram Lalwani was a music arranger for music composer Uttam Singh. He would visit the family often and they would also vacation together. But filmmaking was never a part of their dinner table conversations nor picnics. 

Only destiny must have been privy then to the fact that nearly two decades later Ram Lalwani was to unknowingly play a significant role in his nephew’s career path. The role which in hindsight we would like to sometimes romantically attribute to angels.

Pace

Post his graduation, Paikshit applied to a couple of firms for the position of Digital Electronics engineer. At a family gathering he mentioned this to his uncle Ram Lalwani. He did not ask him for any help in finding a job. His uncle told him he does not know much about the career stream that he (Parikshit) is keen to pursue, digital electronics. But, he is well acquainted with Pace Electronics. Because Pace was established in digital recording music equipment. He could set Parikshit up for an interview at Pace if he would like to have a shot at it.

Parikshit went along with his uncle’s suggestion, and subsequently he was employed with Pace to visit various studios for their equipment needs and maintenance. 

In the first two years with Pace, which was Parikshit’s first job, filmmaker Mr Subhash Ghai established a state of the art sound studio, Audeus. At Andheri. It was to be the first computer-based sound studio, and the first Fairlight digital audio workstation in Mumbai and India. 

This event, the recognition of Parikshit’s developing digital skills and keen ear for sound, by an iconic and tech savvy filmmaker like Mr Ghai, was to someday give Parikshit the wings that helped him fly in the soundscape he finds himself today. 

Smitten

When Parikshit was working as an engineer with Pace, stepping into a variety of sound recording rooms on a daily basis and seeing artists, actors dub, musicians play, singers perform, mics, loud speakers, the cave like silence in large recording rooms, foley sounds being created, sound effects being engineered by craft and art of collaborators, directors instructing re-recording professionals, all passionately involved in marrying sound with image - all of this intrigued him to linger longer, observe and soak in and know more about cinematic sound recording. 

Smitten by cinematic sound, Parikshit began to research and read online related material to understand the sound stream, soundscape of cinema better.

DJ by night

In the years he was with Pace, Parikshit was performing gigs at night in clubs. He jumped on the offer Mr Ghai had made to him, because it paid handsomely and it would take him deeper into the universe of (soundscape of) cinema which had lately drawn him in powerfully. He was also very impressed by Mr Ghai’s motivation and vision of giving cinematic sound so much respect and importance. 

The 'awakening' in him had been subconscious yet powerful, in my opinion. This happened when he chanced to witness an event at a recording studio.

The awakening

One day while working on the sound systems at Empire Sound Studio, Parikshit was inside a recording room waiting for the recording engineer to hook up the system. 

Music Composer Uttam Singh (Dil Toh Pagal Hai fame) walked in and began to play his violin. Simply a warm up session. 

The very high ceiling room, nearly dark but with one single spot light cantered on Uttam ji, he was wearing a white Kurta Pyjama, white shoes, white turban, brown violin, the edges of the room darkened with very low intensity light, reverberated with the sound of the violin and the emotion pouring out of it. It penetrated Parikshit’s soul. 

He began to cry.

He continued to for two to three minutes even after Uttam ji’s bow had distanced itself from the strings. “I cried in the shadows of the machine. I sobbed hearing that music piece Uttam uncle played. He was just doing his thing. He did not even know I was crying hearing the music piece he was engrossed and playing passionately. (Pauses) It was a spiritual experience.” Said Parikshit. 

As he spoke to me about this incident, his eyes welled up. We both shared a moment of mutual silence.

That moment was Parikshit’s first real awakening to sound, I felt. This was the moment he realised how sound can evoke one's deepest feelings, layered under thousands of days of existence and emotions, instantly!!!

Yet another angel

While Parikshit was employed at Pace and was part of the team installing the new generation sound systems at Audeus, Subhash Ghai made him an offer to work at Audeus. To train their technicians to operate the new generation technology being installed. By then Parikshit had already experienced many music and voice (dubbing) recordings. He was fascinated by not just the technology but the emotions music and voice modulation could evoke in a listener.

I think, not just Mr Ram Lalwani but also Subhash Ghai is the second angel who gave Parikshit the opportunities that were to decide his career life path. 

Challenge to begin with

But the offer to work at Audeus came with a rider. “Mr Ghai wanted to bring a wave of digital sound into the industry. Analogue sound, magnetic tapes, was time & physical effort consuming but was prevalent in the industry then. Mr Ghai was ambitious to change that. (Pauses) One significant word of caution he gave me was – the industry is small and unforgiving. Audeus is entering a new domain, and if we fail at what we have set out to achieve we will be devastated. If we do not get it right we will be earn a bad reputation and the industry will skip our studio.” 

True, I thought. In this industry word travels faster than sound.

I think Parikshit enjoys challenges. He gets bored easily. Only a kid who gets bored easily will open up his toys to peep inside for new stimulation. With this challenge in mind he joined Mukta Art’s Audeus and a new world opened up in front of the boy who tinkled with his electronic toys.

From tapes to Dolby Atmos

It has been 18 years Parikshit has been in the sound profession. He has worked in over 300 films, and nearly 250 films independently. When he began, in 2000, sound tech in films was analogue. Digital was yet an emerging low tide wave, not the tsunami it is today. From magnetic tapes and DAT to Dolby Atmos, he has seen it, and indulged it. 

Pondering on how fast technology has progressed in less than two decades can be put into perspective knowing the fact that two hundred years ago it took 12 days to send a message from New York City to London, whereas in less than the last 20 years various formats of sound recording and sound exhibition have evolved. 

Learning graph

I was keen to know which film from the 250 he has worked on he is most proud of as a Sound Designer. He replied “All”. I pushed him to name me the one he learnt the most on during his initial years as an independent sound designer. He named “Moksha” (2001) It was made by the ace cinematographer and director late Ashok Mehta ji. 

Horror

Parikshit likes working on horror films because it’s a chance to alter the viewer’s mental state using sound.

Sound from formative years

Is there a sound from his growing years that continues to reverb in Parikshit’s soul? I was keen to know this from a man who has a keen ear for sounds. 

Parikshit looked away into empty space, thought a bit and with excitement said, ‘Yes. The reverb, the echo we experienced while travelling in our car driving through Lonavla/Khandala tunnel. We would roll down our windows and scream. What we heard was a reverb of the wind and vehicle sounds that are created by us moving across. Such reverbs get etched in our memory.”

It reminded me of the first time I heard echo - During the train journey from Bombay to Lucknow, to see my Nani, when the train passed through tunnels we screamed and shouted with joy. I think we were trying to drown the reverb we heard.

On appreciating the element of sound in an audio-visual medium, 

Pariskshit says, “How would one appreciate something one can’t ‘see’? How would one agree to put time and effort on something that can never be seen, and still has to engage someone's emotion? - Welcome to the world of film sound (Smiles) I believe it is truly an invisible art. 

One can argue that music too is an invisible form of it. I have a disagreement here. I believe that music is something that one HAS to appreciate in order to get its full benefit. You have to be aware and conscious of music. Sound in films is not like that. You SHOULD NOT be aware of sound. You should be aware of the story, the film." Says Parikshit

The meaning of ‘quite’

“It is important to know when to remain quite, in the narrative. Quite does not necessarily mean silence. It means the sound should not be shouting in your face.” Said Parikshit.

Letting go

“The most important learning from my little experience is - Let go. Sometimes we get blocked by a specific belief, even though it is not better than the director’s suggestion we fight to stick to it. Sometimes its blind belief and sometimes its ego. I have learnt it can work for the good of the film if you are willing to suspend your aggressive beliefs and go with the director’s or your co-technicians opinion. It’s a dichotomy: It is very easy to give up. So don’t. And let go when it is necessary.” (Smiles) Says Parikshit.

Learning and valuing filmmakers

(Thinks) "I learnt a lot about the filmmaker and their filmmaking watching every film more than 400 times during their post-production. On multiple viewing we realise why the camera has been placed at a certain angle, why something is deliberately out of focus in the scene, why the location was chosen etc. And it makes you value the work of filmmakers even more.” Said Parikshit. 

What Parikshit said reminded me of something many directors had said to me when I interviewed them for our book. They had said watching some movies more often than twice helps you go into the head of the filmmaker. Multiple viewing brings to the surface layers invisible and choices that may have arrived from their subconscious I felt myself on viewing some of my favorite films a multiple times.

Directors’ Diaries

Since Parikshit has read our book, I asked him for his feedback on the same. 

He said, “Directors’ Diaries is an insight to 12 great minds. 12 iconic filmmakers; kind of a short 30 minute crash-course or training with some great achievers from a variety of backgrounds. Vast experiences like these become our chance to be part of their rare and valuable lives. I wish you interview more film professionals. A glimpse into this vast universe would be priceless for anyone. (Smiles) 

Value of editors

“Our work as sound designers is a team work with the picture-editor, and the director. If the picture (visual) edit is bad, we can only do that much to save the edit.” Said Parikshit. 

Silence

I asked Parikshit about the significance of silence in a narrative, even though in our universe and in our world silence does not exist.

Says Parikshit, “It is not just the presence of sound that matters always. It is the intelligent use of silence that matters too. When are we getting to that stage is a real question. 

But till then, I am sure that many engineers, sound editors and sound designers would agree, that it truly is an invisible art form for an elite few who are masters. There is something else that has all the properties that I have mentioned above. It mesmerizes, surprises, is invisible and if done right, is astounding. In all humility, I can say its called Magic." (Smiles)

Magicians

“Are we magicians? Maybe. Maybe not. But we definitely are Illusionists.” Said Parikshit.

Well said, I thought - "The illusionists of Soundscapes" And I believe this expression aptly describes Parikshit and his tribe.

#SoundDesignersDiaries with #ParikshitLalwani

Letters want to be words. Words want to be stories. Stories want to be told. #RakeshAnandBakshi

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About our book:

#DirectorsDiaries https://www.facebook.com/DirectorsDiaries and https://www.facebook.com/DirectorsDiaries

The directors’ on Cinema & Filmmaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8bnPI95HCs

The directors’ Beginnings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgbvst-mhOw

The directors’ Convictions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQgoJwP1sd8

The directors’ Challenges: https://youtu.be/1BmjGGurM5U

Imtiaz Ali’s 1st film being his film school & our book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzC18coaoLw

Zoya Akhtar on being a 1st time film maker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdg8UNfwKs

Shyam Benegal on 'Why directors’: https://youtu.be/3-u3GRgkt8E