A cinematographer is an eye for a director, what he sees through the lens is what we end up seeing on screen. Anyone who sees the world can be a cinematographer but to become the eye and a vision behind the camera it quite a task. You need such a mentor who can guide you to become a vision. Every window gives a different perspective so as the individual eye, to spot it and make you feel right about your own vision can be done only by a good mentor and teacher. That is what Shanti Sir is as a mentor for me. He really helped me to understand and believe in the frames I think is right and it will be really helpful for me as a director, cinematographer and photographer to move forward with my frames, my perspective and my vision for the world. As a mentor he not only listened but also believed in my stories, He encouraged me to develop it and guide me to make it better in a more cinematic language. The best thing I learned from him is to be a whole human and appreciate life as it is. He told me he is not just a cinematographer but also a seeker and practitioner of meditation and thrives every day to understand more about life and spirituality. That really got me thinking about my perspective about cinema and life in general. His master class on cinematography will be one of the chapters where I not only learned cinematography but also life as a whole.

Shanti Sir is not just a mentor in cinematography but a mentor in life, his approach towards learning is unmatchable. He is a kind human being and always considerate towards every single persons learning as well as wellbeing. His teachings have not only taught me cinema but also impacted me spiritually, he made me question many things and gave me the ability to think for myself. I cannot thank him enough for being a part of my journey.

It was a great experience to work with Shanti Bhushan sir. He is very understanding, calm and composed when it comes to handling the situation, especially with students. We as students tend to underestimate our fellow classmates capabilities but Shanti Bhushan sir always keeps an eye over such a situation and tends to come in between when there are ego battles going on in the team. At the same time he understands when to give space to students and let them do the work and learn from the mistakes they are doing. He not only helped us in our film making project but also when it came to mental health and making sure that at the end of the day we are relaxed from all the hustle of the day and have peace and take as much as we can from the mother nature. We had great relaxation lectures with him during the journey where he taught us small things that we can implement in our lifetime so that we stay relaxed in difficult situations. It was a privilege to have him beside us as a strong supporting pillar while conducting our final film making project. I would again like to thank him for helping me through the journey.

A soul with high spirits combined with the experience of a master is what professor Shanti Bhushan Roy signifies. He used to be the guiding light on set. The creative nourishment which we received was exceptional, especially the lighting sessions with him. His knowledge enlightened us throughout. Mistakes were never overshadowed, each and every student was given equal importance and bestowed teachings are his strongest weapon. No matter how hard you try, no student will remain unnoticed from him. The best advice which Shanti sir gave us: A professional cinematographer is the one who can manage to shoot even in difficult conditions but a great cinematographer is the one who will never compromise with the creative output beyond a certain limit. Technical learning is part of the curriculum of every filmmaking school but along with that the teachings and experiences shared by Shanti sir gave me a broader perspective of filmmaking world which I believe is very important for every filmmaker to understand.

After almost a year and a half, when I look back to my Symbiosis days, I never cease to smile. Those days and memories still seem to be fresh. During those days I learned a lot of things, things that have shaped me as a human and influenced my decisions today. Like many other experiences, being a student of Shanti Bhushan sir was an extravaganza in itself. Camera & Lighting as a subject is very interesting and important, and with a professor like Shanti sir, it makes it even more entertaining. Now that I look back at those experiences, I remember Shanti sir telling me to “Observe”. It is so important to observe things around you because even the smallest of things will intrigue you in the most exciting way. His teachings about Mood Lighting and Camera Angles are still as fresh as new. I remember how he told us to meditate and listen to our inner self. At first, I laughed at how funny it was to meditate in a camera & lighting class. But later, I realized that at that moment he wasn’t teaching us about the subject, but was teaching us to compose ourselves. As a filmmaker, it is very important to trust your instincts, be calm and composed, and that is what Shanti sir was preparing us for before getting on the Camera.
Along with that when he taught us about respecting the equipments, I realised how disciplined the Man was.
To conclude, I consider myself as a Lucky SIMCian to be mentored by Shanti Bhushan Sir and I wish I could spend more time with him as his student. All his teachings have helped me in some or the other way in some or the other project I have worked on.

According to the timetable, it was the camera and lighting class. Then why were we dancing? Why were we sharing our feelings? Though It felt good to do all those activities, it took me long to find the motive behind it. But yes, eventually we all understood. Maybe today I get it better when I look back. A camera is an instrument that helps us communicate. We know how to click. But what we click, and why? Here comes the need of perspectives. That is how the camera becomes a storyteller. This was taught to us so beautifully in Shanti sir’s classes. It became more meaningful to me to associate my camera frame to real-life, and understand how to form a perspective. I knew about angles and focal lengths. I knew the numbers and definitions. Then I started exploring how to apply them, in terms of visual language. For example, when to go closer with a small focal length, or go further with a larger one. How the background varies, so does the impact of the frame. I understood that so far, I have never let my camera explore my thoughts, my understandings, or my stories, the way our eyes do. This was my biggest take away from those classes, that I will always remember!

Shanti Bhushan Roy is an absolutely incredible cinematographer as well as a good teacher. Immense knowledge and vast experience in the industry is what makes him a brilliant mentor and also he is a kind man. There are many things which you can learn from him, just not cinematography but also various other things which can help you live a better life. Shanti sir is very patient with everyone, especially with his students. One can ask him any doubts regarding anything without any hesitation and he will make sure that your doubt is been solved. He has a peculiar style of teaching in detail which makes it easier to understand the subject. I'm very glad to have a mentor like him. Thank you Shanti sir for your teachings.

During his interaction, he taught the most important lesson in cinema. "You must stand in the same energy for 12 to 16 hours of shooting. So you have to be strong mentally and physically”. I see this as one of the most important pieces of advice on cinema. He teaches plan B, communication on the sets, hears our ideas - it cannot be learned by mere study. Thank you Shanti sir!

"Camera is the eye of a film". I remember this sentence very vividly explained by Shanti Bhushan sir on our first class of cinematography. Before this workshop I had a very vague idea of what a cinematographer can do to a film. I very wrongly thought that a cinematographer just carries a camera and does what his director tells him without having a mind of his own. But I was so very wrong. Good cinematography can make or break a film. I was very elated to be part of the master class on cinematography by Shanti Bhushan sir.

A Master as "SOUL TEACHER MENTOR Knows "HOW, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & WHY" To place a light for his "LIFE, STUDENTS & SCRIPT". Shanti sir is a wonderful human being who brings our creative creature out through his lecture. He makes us think, think for a shot with right lighting"

It was great that Shanti sir came as a mentor for our Tirunelveli Project. His ideas and vision were truly awesome, I learnt many things from him during that project, in that the main thing was how not to lose our mind(temper) and think calmly and peacefully. Hoping to work with him in future projects.

I would like to just mention some of the things that we were able to achieve with your guidance Shanti sir. Even though we had done shot design for our other projects, when we were prepping for our Tirunelveli shoot, it felt different. The sheer process of it, how you gave us certain tips for noting down info, taking photographs from every angle possible etc., made us feel more into the work. One thing to point out mainly is your state of calm, even while under pressure or deadlines, you remained calm and helped us finish the shoot on time. The most important thing I would say was how you handled our team. Despite problems with efficiency and management, you allowed us to do our work, and interfere when needed, and push us through to finish our daily shots. And of course, I have to mention the last day, where we had that walk on the farm. That gave us a different perspective altogether. It made us feel like we weren’t there just to finish our project, but also to understand the idea behind it.

It was a tremendous experience to work with Shanti Sir. The output and walkthrough of Cinematography felt a lot professional. He is very neutral and fair in giving opportunities to others. I never felt disinterested or demotivated throughout the session. There was a lot alacrity in his mannerism which is why his guidance grabbed my attention. He is a very confident and knowledgeable person and it was a great opportunity for me that he was our mentor. The best thing about his teaching is that he believed in our skills more than we did. He gave us the little push that we needed to go forward. He had an instant solution to our problems. The overall learning process was very thought-provoking and inspiring and I can't help but thank Shanti Sir who gave us the support that we lacked.

Shanti Sir is very particular in many senses. As a strict disciplinarian and methodical teacher cum mentor in Cinematography he always tries to motivate the students so that the correct vision and thought process is imbibed. He acquired an in-depth knowledge and experience in the line of Cinema and in each session of classes to tries to give maximum to the students. His classes always remained very interactive which helped us to learn better. He is a task master but very cooperative with the students.

Initially, it was a fight to put up with all the activities Shanti sir used to give, be it exercising during exterior classes or bringing that one 'pouch' with all the required tools during our shoots and classes or clean up the whole floor at morning 7 am in order to make a new floor map but I guess as time passed by, I realised how important those small things were and how much those classes are helping me in the long run in this industry.

Making films is an Art. And this art requires you to be disciplined, focused and punctual which I learned better from Shanti Sir. His classes were always unique and one of a kind. Learning was always beyond just concept learning. I also admire his eye for detail. He was a perfect commander. All his lessons may seem tough but it’s definitely going to get me a good position & help me sustain in the long run in the Film Industry.

Learning from Shanti sir has always been a different kind of experience, he has always taught us the importance of teamwork and made us go through each and every aspect of cinematography during his lectures, and not just about cinematography he being strict a few times taught us the importance of following discipline in filmmaking and how we should be innovative every time we’re trying to create something.

Shanti Sir isn’t just a teacher of Cinematography but also a mentor of life. He didn’t just teach a certain topic but also made sure we understood it & encouraged us to come up with questions. Though he is a playful & jolly teacher, he is also strict when it comes to discipline which made us learn & enjoy the subject making it interesting. He is well versed with both practical & theoretical aspect of the subject and makes sure we learn it too.

Shanti Bhushan Roy is a person with great personality and style. When I met him for the first time, I really liked his behavior towards his students and also inspired me a lot to learn cinematography with his presence of knowledge towards cinema. Shanti Sir is a man with discipline. His way of teaching helped me a lot to study a script and plan the shots, it's lighting, etc. and execute it confidently. One of the most interesting and important parts of his class was the interacting sessions which helped us to share ideas with each other, study a film and learn from it. As a mentor, Shanti Sir’s teaching approach was truly appreciable and I would really like to thank him as he made me confident enough to work as a professional in a camera team. He will always be an important person in my life, not only for teaching me cinema and Cinematography but also for making me believe in myself. I am really proud to have Shanti Bhushan Sir as my mentor who is one of the leading cinematographers in the present time.

Shanti sir teaches every concept with much detail, which makes it very easy for everyone to understand. We get to learn a lot in the practical sessions, by using the camera and understanding its operation. Sir has also been very approachable in terms of doubt solving, and has been a very good mentor and guide throughout the course duration.

Cinematography is a passion to many of them who are fighting with themselves to achieve it. And Shanti sir, you have given a scope to many of them by teaching us how to love it rather how to fight with it. My journey would be very arduous without you in the picture called 'My Passion'. So am grateful to you who have taught me from the baby steps of cinematography till how to participate in a race. We Love you sir and always your blessings are with us!

Shanti sir is always very patient while teaching. He teaches each and every concept with extreme detail, without leaving any sort of doubt or confusion in our mind. I learned a lot about cinematography after attending sir's lectures. He is also a wonderful guide and mentor in terms of career choices.

Shanti Bhushan sir has a unique perspective which makes him unique from others. He once told all the things might be projection like there is a possibility that we are living in a simulation. We need more people like him in this world. The way he teaches, the example he gives to explain any topic becomes more understandable. We had a fight on the first day of some assessment, now I can say he's my favorite teacher.

Learning is easier with experimenting and getting familiar with the surroundings by exploring on our own. That is exactly how Shanti Sir teaches. I learned cinematography under him for a year and the process by which he teaches is by letting your curiosity take over and make its best use by learning parallel with it. Making a mistake is a part of the process and a teacher letting you do so are uncommon. From getting familiar with equipments to compositing a frame, all of which required us to tap on to our own observations than theoretical briefs and he helped us boost our imaginations with his strict but creative ways, which still has an effect on the way we work in this field today. The way that Shanti Sir teaches brings out originality in my work and that is what sets me apart from everyone else and it has to do a lot with his process of teaching.

I had a perspective on Cinematography before joining the film school in Mumbai. It was more like an "Over-confident" me, who thought, I should just go with my instincts & film school education will help me on the technical side. Shanti Bhushan sir helped me to find the infinite possibilities of cinematography, it was more like realization for me, that we keep learning the art of cinematography, till our last breath.

Well, Shanti sir was one of the strict mentors amongst others, discipline being one of his major rules. As a teacher, his teaching techniques were different from others and he ensured that everyone understood all that he taught. Although he was one of the strict teachers, that doesn't change the fact that he was also one of the greatest teachers. I still remember his words when we went to meet him, they were, "areypuranepapiyo". I still remember the naughtiest smile he has had on his face whenever he questioned us.

My learning experience with Shanti sir was always a brain challenging one. He always maintained an equilibrium between learn fast and learn efficiently. Do you know about the good cop bad cop thing? Yes, Shanti sir was the second one. He didn’t make me learn cinematography, first he made me learn in his deep THOR LIKE VOICE how to be disciplined. Even today I don’t forget my cine kit as I am always thinking Shanti sir will be there in his manly voice say again. 'MIHIR WHERE IS YOUR POUCH?' Each tips and tricks taught were not just related to cinematography but to the life, set etiquettes, fitness, etc. have come from Shanti sir. P.S NOTE THAT never ever use your cellphones in Shanti sir's class, be attentive because you never know what’s coming towards you, because you are going to miss all the learnings infused with fun and timely jokes. Shanti sir's class is a perfect blend of learning, fun, jokes, current affairs, top trends, films, etiquettes, and mostly loads of love towards his students.

Shanti Bhushan sir as my teacher/mentor is the best thing I have got in my career. On the very first day when I had my class with him, I was surprised by his perfection in cinematography and I got to know of my small technical flaws. I have also learned the imperative use of light meter from him. I love his beautiful sense of soft lighting and aesthetics, and yes his attitude as well.

Shanti sir has given a great opportunity to grab a perfect on-set knowledge in our classrooms. His methodology gives us an old school teaching which is lacking in the modern world. We were fortunate to have him as our mentor.

Shanti sirs classes were a blend of precision and discipline. One got to learn how important it is to know every piece of equipment you have around you in and out. We were trained under him to be technically strong and knowing exactly what we want while making our own images. His sessions were interactive and we always enjoyed the process and time with him and at the end of every class, we never went out without upgrading ourselves.

I met SHANTI BHUSHAN ROY sir in DIGITAL ACADEMY as he was our mentor for the Cinematography batch 2018-19. He taught us about the cinema in a very easy way. He made us understand what cinema is. He always focused on the technicalities of the camera and lighting equipment’s from which we improved and understood the depth of cinema. Shanti Sir was one of the strict mentors we had, but yes we became serious in the Theory and Practical sessions because of him. And here we are today because he shared his knowledge with us and made us self-reliable.

"We always looked forward to Shanti Bhushan sir’s classes. They were never boring. He always uses novel teaching methods to explain new concepts. For example, he made us carry and walk around with heavy light stands on our shoulders on the day we had to learn handheld filming. He is a cool combination of a commander in the military and an approachable, kind teacher. He also always uplifted us and made us feel as though we can make a difference. It’s important to have teachers like him!"

A film making workshop was organized by 'Global skills academy' at 'Kansagra College'. You were one of the mentors there. You taught mainly about script and screenplay. Your method of teaching was very unique as you focused on two-way communication rather than a one-sided lecture. You made sure that everyone participated in the lecture. Your lecture was always full of enthusiasm which made every student feel comfortable in your lecture and this encouraged to participate as well. Learning with the help of your real-life experiences made your lectures more interesting and made us curious about the topic too. Thank you for making us learn in a better way.