‘Made in Heaven’: How this Bollywood cinematographer popularised cinematic weddings in Kashmir

Srinagar: After making a mark as a cinematographer in Bollywood films and hit TV shows like ‘Roadies’ and ‘Savdhaan India’, Sajjad Shah thought of introducing Kashmir to cinematic weddings in 2012.

And after setting a trend by shooting marriage ceremonies ‘like a movie’, Sajjad has now shot over 250 cinematic weddings in Kashmir and his group ‘MG’s Wedding Cinematography’ employs around 24 persons during the peak marriage season.

“The camera has always attracted me and after completing a course in cinematography, I initially started freelancing for a sports channel and then moved to work as a camera person in news channels in Delhi. Later, I got a break to work as Director of Photography (DoP) in ‘Savdhaan India’ and I also did camera work for shows like ‘Indian Idol’. I still do MTV shows like ‘Roadies’. I also love to shoot motorsports and then I got calls from Mumbai-based production houses and did camera work for several films and videos. In 2012, I decided to introduce Kashmir to cinematic weddings. Now, cinematic weddings are common but I was the first to introduce it in Kashmir,” Sajjad told The Kashmir Monitor.

After a good response, he employed a full-fledged team to shoot cinematic weddings in Kashmir.

“In 2012, I was just freelancing but in 2015 I engaged a full-fledged team and have shot over 250 cinematic weddings since then. We have offices in Delhi and Srinagar that employ 12 people. During the peak wedding season, I hire another 12 persons on contracts depending on the workload. Besides shooting cinematic weddings, I continue to work as a DoP or cameraman for TV, ad films, and Bollywood as the camera has always been my passion. I also love to shoot documentaries,” said Sajjad, who hails from Baghat-Barzulla area of the city.

The secret of MG’s Wedding Cinematography’s success is that Sajjad manages to develop a rapport with the family where the wedding takes place.

“As wedding filmmakers, we pride ourselves on offering something unique. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach. It’s about getting to know the couple and their families and knowing what’s important to them. We build a rapport and we’re like friends during the wedding,” he said.

Though the cheapest wedding package in Kashmir at MG’s Wedding starts from Rs.55,000, Sajjad said it would go up to Rs. 10 lakh in Delhi.

“Here, we have different packages ranging from Rs. 55,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh as many in Kashmir still do not know what cinematic weddings are all about. In Delhi, having a budget of Rs 4-5 lakh for a cinematic wedding is common and sometimes it can go up to Rs. 10 lakh. Many couples in Delhi or Mumbai want their weddings to have a proper script and they also want their music. Therefore, a professional music director is hired to compose music for their cinematic weddings,” he said.