Prof. Yogesh Mathur has always been my ideal teacher and role model. He taught me simplicity and humility apart from the various styles and techniques of editing
Years down the line, I think I would remember my most valuable experience in SCMC to be that of the classes of Prof. Yogesh Mathur. My first meeting with the gentleman was way back in the initial days of my second year in the Mass Communication Batch. Prof. Mathur was supposed to take our first class on editing and I remember being pretty excited about the same, not because of the teacher but for the subject itself. I fondly remember him entering the class quietly and greeting us with all his humility. Formal introductions revealed his expertise in his career as a teacher and an editor and I was all the more in when I heard that he had mentored the likes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rajkumar Hirani.
His classes became a delight to be a part of and the knowledge gained was immense. What makes him different from everyone else is his absolute simplicity in terms of interaction and teaching. Filled with relatable examples from popular Indian cinema, his classes never had a dull moment for me. His approach to editing is through the fundamental elements of it and emphasis is always on getting the basics right.
What makes him my favourite teacher is probably my interactions with him outside the classroom. He never failed to take out time and answer all my queries. He even provided me with his contact number and I was free to call him at anytime of the day.
There are two incidents with Prof. Mathur that will stay with me. First, his last class in our second year. The whole class gave him a standing ovation. I remember that moment to be magical. I had rarely felt such genuine gratitude towards a teacher. He was so overwhelmed by our love and wished he could share this moment with his late wife. Second, we had a class scheduled with Prof. Mathur in the afternoon and I remember finding on Facebook that it was his birthday and I was determined to celebrate it. It was during the monsoons and it was raining outside. A batch-mate of mine, Sankalp joined me with equal enthusiasm and we ventured out in the rain on a friend’s scooter to got a birthday cake for Professor. Our love for him was amplified by the entire college when the whole batch and faculty joined us for the celebration in the Activity Lounge. It even made it to the college social media page.
Prof. Yogesh Mathur has always been my ideal teacher and role model. He taught me simplicity and humility apart from the various styles and techniques of editing. The only regret I have is my failure to visit him at his house despite numerous invitations. He is currently in Delhi and I’ll be leaving Pune in a few days and I desperately hope we cross paths ahead in life again.
Article By: Ritam Nandi (2017)
Photograph By: Ritam Nandi (2017)
