Acclaimed film editors Nitin Baid and Anatara Lahiri recent opened up about the process of enhancing performances during the editing phase of filmmaking. He stated, in an interview, how editing can turn around even the weakest of performances.
On The Streaming Show, Antara said, "One of the basics of editing is that you will be enhancing , improving, manipulating performance in some way or the other. It’s never a surprise that you have to end up doing that. But the multi-camera system has made some things very easy, because if something isn’t working, you have tonnes to cut to. Most directors also get a sense of the performance very early on. There are flags that are raised early on."
Discussing his experience with A-list actors like Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, Nitin expressed the joy that comes with editing their performances. "With good actors like Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, the process is always more enjoyable," he noted.
However, he talked about the challenges working with less experienced or weaker actors. "Even with weak actors, I look at it differently. They have a certain range, and even the audience has certain expectations from them. It’s interesting to try and surpass that expectation. That’s something I discuss with directors also, that a certain actor is being perceived in a certain way, and how do we shift that perception… When the director is very, very clear, they will know how to handle a performance that isn’t the strongest."
He further stated that directors like Shoojit Sircar and Zoya Akhtar are usually able to draw performances out of everybody.
Nitin has collaborated with filmmakers including Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur, Zoya Akhtar on Gully Boy and The Archies, Kabir Khan on 83 and Chandu Champion, and Karan Johar on Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. On the other hand, Antara has worked on editing shows like Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, Modern Love: Mumbai, Delhi Crime, and Tooth Pari.
