Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Lens view: Rajeev Ravi’s resume points to his versatility as a cinematographer

The film, which attempts to defy the usual parameters of linear narration, was amply supported by a psychedelic visual design that gave it a slick look.

“Both the thematic element and the treatment of ‘No Smoking’ demanded a contemporary approach in terms of lighting and scenic design. We have tried to fuse the semiotic elements in the script into every possible shot – hence the choice of a white, clean ambience in the protagonist’s residence and a rusty, mediaeval one in Prayogshala, a de-addiction centre,” explains Rajeev.

“The hallucinatory sequences were shot in Tashkent. Blending the locations were quite a task. And we wanted the transitions to be smooth, especially when the character gets in and out of Prayogshala. The DI (Digital Intermediate) Machine helped in that case,” he adds.

John Abraham and Anurag Kashyap.

The surreal Prayogshala was shot clean and then digitally manipulated towards its present characteristics.

“DI has brought in immense creative possibilities to the medium. Earlier, a DOP’s job would end with the shooting and grading. Now, we have finer control of individual colours and the image structure in general. So now I can even weave a sub-text into the narrative with tonal variations,” explains the cinematographer. He points out that the digital revolution has also dissolved the boundaries of shooting formats. “Earlier I had inhibitions about working on digital video; But now I would even work in VHS, provided the theme is inspiring. I would like to work in varied genres, evolving or reworking on the form always excites me.”

Rajeev’s resume makes this evident. His eclectic credits veers from a very commercial ‘Jana’ in Tamil to an off-beat ‘Sesham’ in Malayalam along with ‘Chandni Bar’ and ‘No Smoking’ in Hindi.

“I has just passed out of Film and Television Institute of India when I got the opportunity to work in Madhur Bhandarkar’s film (‘Chadni Bar’). I did work on a friend’s film before that. But ‘Chandni Bar’ got released first. I also did a couple of Hindi films like Anurag’s ‘Gulaal’ and Shivaji Chandrabhushan’s ‘Palak.’ Malayalam and Tamil happened simultaneously. I have done only one film in Tamil – Shaji Kailas’s ‘Jana.’ After ‘Sesham,’ I did around 10 films in Malayalam, which includes ‘Rasikan,’ the first half of ‘Anyar’ and ‘Chakram.”

And then came ‘Classmates.’ The campus nostalgia captured on screen not only gained box office success, but also a classic status. Shot mostly at CMS College, Kottayam, the task in ‘Classmates’ was to reduce the mundaneness of a single location shoot, says Rajiv.

So what did such a superhit do for this crew member? Didn’t it inspire him to stay on, in Malayalam?

‘Classmates’ brought in recognition. Being seen, is the best thing that can happen to any film. And am sure, the film will also be remembered for a long time. But that does not mean that the crew should stick to the successful formula. Unless you branch out and experiment, you don’t grow as an artiste,” feels Rajeev.

“Staying on, again, brings in the question of getting stuck at one place. Bollywood is brimming with creative activities these days. And the same with Tamil, though there has been a little slowing down there off late. In Mumbai, everybody is trying out something innovative. Whether they succeed or not, is a different issue. They try at least. The Hindi market is quite open and vibrant. So it is natural for anyone to get drawn there,” he concludes.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail