42 years of an art story
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai, had organised an interactive session with artist and art director Thota Tharani.
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— PHOTO: K. V. Srinivasan
THOTA THARANI ... translating ideas with imagination.
Mastery such as this can never go unsung, nor should the man behind it go unheard. The `exclusive dialogue with India's premiere art director that Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai, had organised the other evening, as part of its fifth Lights On show at Studio 5, took the audience to the world of art in cinema through the eyes of veteran artist and art director, Thota Tharani.
His straightforward, no-nonsense exchanges, the captivating visuals that gave an insight into the work of art directors, the challenges, and toil that mostly goes unnoticed were the aspects dwelt upon. Rohini's posers were terse and to the point. The actor was the facilitator of the session conceived by Prasanna Ramaswamy.
The art director's job is to translate the director's ideas into a visual format. But the director has to be clear in what he wants, said Tharani. But the thought transference warrants imagination. How does Tharani do it, queried Rohini. "Simple. I place myself in the role of the characters and things fall in place," he smiled. "But the tricky part is, when creating an ambience we also have to allow room for the cameraman, light boys, angles, lights, and everything in the shooting area."
How the West works
Comparing the way they work in the West with ours, he said that plusses and minuses can be found on both sides. "But matters are more meticulous over there. Production designers make drawings with the dimensions and shooting areas clearly earmarked and distribute them beforehand. Here very few function that way. We double up as designers. We also have to know about the lenses used and make changes accordingly," he said.
Tharani narrated the experience of using an age-old rail engine in L. A. for `Jeans.' "There was this man who dealt only in railway engines. He had an entire range from the oldest. And the specimen I chose was an antique piece that ran on firewood! The specifications I had given regarding colour and other such were followed to a T. Actual tracks were laid and the 19th century train was up in motion in a week's time!" Tharani is still awed by the experience.
The man who was drawn from the wings into full time art direction by Kamal Hassan and director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, for `Raja Paarvai,' cannot forget the encouragement he received from them.
For `Nayakan' Tharani had been to Mumbai to get a first hand picture of Dharavi. "I made sketches, came back and recreated the slum at Venus Studios. But the riot ravaged streets for `Bombay' was created mainly from memory ... from what I had noticed when I was there for `Nayakan.' Tharani's hallmarks are many, including the replica of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple that he had built.
Then and now
With gratitude he remembered many of his mentors — giants in the field of art direction — from Ganga, Bihari Bhai of `Pakeezah' fame, A. K. Shekar, Bansi Chandragupta (right hand of Satyajit Ray), Sudhendhu Roy and many others who went away unsung. While clarifying the myriad doubts of the gathering, Tharani touched upon crises management. It is imperative when you have to meet deadlines and make do with the materials available, he observed. Graphics has not invaded the art director's space, it is a different subject of study, felt Tharani.
You noticed a slight impatience in him when a student of Visual Communication wanted to know how he could become an art director. "First you have to learn to draw," he remarked. Audience at Sathyam also had glimpses of another aligned facet of the man — Tharani the artist. "I don't believe in mysteries. I prefer to make the viewer understand my paintings," he said.
Tharani is very happy about his work in `Chandramukhi.' The palace sequences were shot at different places but have been made to look like one whole unit. "P. Vasu deserves full credit for the way he conceived the scenes. The banner is the best I have worked in, in my career that spans 42 years. Perfectly planned, work went on smoothly without a hitch. I must thank Ramkumar and Rajini for it," he said.
How does he feel when a set put up with artistry and hard work is reduced to rubble after shooting? "I never go near the place after my job is over," was the cryptic reply.
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