Savita Singh is an Indian cinematographer and filmmaker who is known for directing the short film ‘Sonsi’ which made an entry into the Oscars in 2020. She majorly works on feature films, ad films, and documentaries.
Wiki/Biography
Savita Singh was born in the year 1981 (age 41 years; as of 2022) in Hisar, Haryana. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Indraprastha College For Women, Delhi and a diploma in Cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Savita’s father’s name is Vijai Singh and he works in a bank. Her mother’s name is Shakuntla Singh.
Savita with her father
Savita Singh’s mother
Her sister’s name is Sunita Singh.
Savita Singh’s sister
Husband
Savita is unmarried.
Career
Cinematography
Savita started her career in 2007 with the short movie ‘Kramasha.’
Savita’s film ‘Kramasha’
She has shot the films Phoonk (2008), 404: Error Not Found (2011), Hawaizaada (2015), Ventilator (2016), and Devi (2020).
Poster of the movie ‘Ventilator’
Direction
She started her career as a director in 2020 with the short film ‘Sonsi’ (Shadow Bird).
Savita’s film ‘Sonsi’
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- In 2007, she won the national award for best cinematography for the short film ‘Kramasha.’
- In 2020, she won the national award for best cinematography for the film ‘Sonsi.’
Savita wins national award for best cinematography for the film ‘Sonsi’
Facts/Trivia
- She was the first female from her village who pursued graduation. During her graduation, she did an internship with the newspaper ‘The Statesman.’ She wrote film reviews during the internship.
- In an interview, she said that she was attracted to filmmaking since childhood. She also added that when she was young, she used to watch Doordarshan and read a lot of books that led to her interest in parallel cinema. She further added,
It may sound a little pretentious to say this now, but the truth is I liked parallel cinema more even as a child. I was in awe of movies by Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen and would walk away if there was anything typically commercial. I just had this liking for a particular space, rhythm and storytelling.”
- Her debut film ‘Kramasha’ was the film that she shot for a thesis for the college project. In 2009, she won a National Award for Best Cinematography and became the first Indian female to win an award in this category. The film, Kramasha, received other awards in 2008 that include the critic’s award at the Oberhausen Film Festival and a golden conch for best film at the Mumbai International Film Festival.
- She attended the Budapest Cinematography Master class under the mentorship of the famous cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond after graduating from FTTI.
- In 2015, she became the founder of the Indian Women Cinematographers Collective. The organization solves problems that women cinematographers face while shooting for the film. In an interview, she talked about the work done by the organization and said,
The idea behind IWCC is not to isolate women from the male cinematographers or to show we can do it better than men. It’s about drawing attention to our underexposed, neglected group of professionals known as female cinematographers. We want to provide a platform for all women cinematographers to come forward and make themselves heard.”
Logo of Indian Women Cinematographers Collective
- In 2017, she represented Indian cinematographers in Paris at the Association of French Cinematographers (AFC).
- In an interview, she said that she won the second national award because of her parents. She further added,
Winning my second National Film Award and a Rajat Kamal for Best Cinematography is such an incredible honor and moment of pride for me. I am full of gratitude that my first film as a director ‘Sonsi’ my little bird gave us a National Award. This feeling will take a while to sink in. This award belongs to my incredibly progressive and nurturing parents who gave me wings and showed me how to dream.”
- In an interview, she said that the title of the movie ‘Sonsi’ was taken from the 1999 Hindi book ‘Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi’ written by litterateur Vinod Kumar Shukla.
- In an interview, she talked about how filmmaking has helped her in keeping in views and thoughts in front of people. She said,
I realised I had a way with the camera. I could put it at the right place and say what I wanted to say. I was still not ready to tell stories. I was hungry to read more, know more.”
- In an interview, she talked about the OTT platforms and said,
OTT has been, it has created a lot of employment opportunities and the quality of content has improved. The star system is not so airtight anymore. It’s liberating for actors and filmmakers as you are not limited to only 5-6 stars who can be termed as A-listers. However, I also feel that the content is getting a little monotonous. Nevertheless, the platform as a whole is great for the entertainment industry.”
- She was referred to as ‘camera ma’am’ by the cast and crew of the film ‘Hawaizaada’ while shooting the film.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
