Postal department launches postal stamp in honour of late Ashok Mehta

In its zeal to pay homage to the late Ashok Mehta, the postal authority has issued a stamp with the image of the ace cinematographer-filmmaker who passed away on 15 August last year. Now, with the postal stamps in circuit, Mehta’s name has been etched in Indian cinema's history books forever. Known for his work in Bandit Queen, Utsav and Paroma, the National Award winner (for 36 Chowringhee Lane and Moksh, a film he directed), Mehta lost the battle to Cancer last year. Early in 2012, he was diagnosed with lung Cancer and expired in Mumbai at the age of 65. Mehta was one cinematographer who worked both with directors of mainstream Bollywood and parallel cinema. Talking about mainstream flicks, he worked with Subhash Ghai (Ram Lakhan (1989), Saudagar (1991)) and Rajiv Rai (Gupt (1997), Mukul Anand (Trimurti (1995). As far as parallel cinema is concerned, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Shyam Benegal (Trikaal (1985), Mandi (1983), Aparna Sen (36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Paroma (1984)). He also worked on films including Shekhar Kapoor's Bandit Queen (1994), Girish Karnad's Utsav (1984), Gulzar's Ijaazat (1987) and MF Hussain's Gaja Gamini (2000).