A VETERAN of the stage and screen, Hansley Ajodha is one of Trinidad and Tobago's most recognisable actors. But he is also the talent behind the camera, and those talents were on full display with the new film Infidelity.
Ajodha wrote, directed, produced and made a cameo appearance in the thriller about a man plotting to murder his unfaithful wife.
Newsday caught up with him during a screening at Gemstone, CinemaOne, One Woodbrook Place, Port of Spain.
[caption id="attachment_1075229" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Actor Dinesh Maharaj in a scene from Infidelity. -[/caption]
Infidelity is a production of his film company, Golden Eye Productions – he explained the name was inspired by the producers of the popular James Bond film franchise. He pointed out that "Goldeneye" was the name of the Jamaican estate owned by late Bond author Ian Fleming and a 1995 Bond film.
"So I am 'Golden Eye', which is a play on the entire thing."
Ajodha said his family has been involved in movies for a long time: his father was a projectionist at two cinemas in Penal – Sunbeam Cinema and Regent Cinema – in the latter of which his grandfather had a financial interest.
"Movies and acting have always been in my blood. I was on stage extensively with the San Fernando Theatre Workshop. I went on to television, did (soap operas) No Boundaries, Sugar Cane Arrows, (action film) Men of Gray (Flight of the Ibis)."
He recalled a lot of his knowledge and skill came from reading until he met actor, playwright, filmmaker and TTT producer Horace James. All of Ajodha's plays would be broadcast on TTT as part of the Play of the Month series.
"And eventually he came to me and he said, 'I want you to be in No Boundaries.' And with that, Horace then tutored me in all the things that he knew when he went on a scholarship in Great Britain (to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts)."
[caption id="attachment_1075228" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Actor Errol "Blood" Roberts speaks to actress Kavita Maharajh in a tense scene from the film Infidelity. -[/caption]
While shooting No Boundaries, James gave Adjodha the book The Five Cs of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques, by late cinematographer and director Joseph V Mascelli.
"I always had it at the back of my mind that I wanted to direct films. Acting wasn't really my love, you know; it was directing movies and making movies. Because I enjoyed more being behind the camera as opposed to being in front of it."
He said Golden Eye Productions and principal photography on Infidelity started in 2013 with rented equipment from the late O'Neal Davis, whom he worked with on No Boundaries.
"But O'Neal got cancer and we had to shut the film down."
He said he stopped the film temporarily in honour of Davis and then shooting resumed about two and a half years later. After he sold his radio station, Life Radio 99.5 FM Ltd, to conglomerate ANSA McAL, he took the money and bought filmmaking equipment for Golden Eye Productions.
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