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Creating magic out of visual effects in films

Biju Dhanapalan

Special effects are what make movies entertaining. Meet Biju Dhanapalan, one such visual effects wizard. In a talk with G. Krishnakumar

Bollywood movie fans would never forget the scene in Vikram Bhat’s Ghulam where actor Aamir Khan runs on the tracks towards an incoming train. Even though it was widely publicised that the actor had performed the action live, the truth was something else. The magic of visual effects did the trick and the credit goes to its creator, Biju Dhanapalan or Biju D, as he is popularly known in tinsel town.

From a youngster who won the Kalaprathibha title at the Kerala University youth festival in 1987-88 before pursuing a course in product design at IIT Mumbai, Biju has transformed himself in to one of the most sought after visual effects expert in Bollywood thanks to his creative passion and urge to excel in his profession.

An artist who wanted to explore the possibilities of merging art and technology for creating something new, Biju now rubs shoulders with the who-is-who of Bollywood these days. “I am now working for director Rajkumar Hirani’s movie, 3 Idiots starring Aamir Khan,” Biju told The Hindu hours after he took charge as the consultant and course designer at the newly-launched iMET VFX and Animation School here.

Mr. Hirani is one of the leading directors in Bollywood who made the runaway hits including Munnabhai MBSS and Lage Raho Munnabhai. “I have never come across such a script (3 Idiots). It is going to be a wonderful film. We have employed effects that are not visible. It just aids the story telling,” he said. If Ghulam gave Biju the vital break in Bollywood, his visual effects in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Bhootnath, earned him critical acclaim and applause from various quarters. Produced under the banner of B. R. Films, the movie offered Biju “exciting possibilities” to work on.

The hard work and time spent on the project finally paid when Biju received enthusiastic response from the industry for some of the scenes involving Mr. Bachchan. There was a scene where Mr. Bachchan does some tricks on a lion on a board using a chalk.

He had already worked on over 80 films that also include a few crossover movies like Cape Karma. Biju feels that the visual communication field will explode with new opportunities in the coming days.

“The bubble period is over and there is huge scope for the skilled and creative talents,” he says.

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