Movie buffs wait in line to catch a film at the Bengaluru International Film Festival.
Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V
Well-known cinematographer S Ravi Varman said that his goal was to create films that would stand the test of time and be relevant even after 10 years.
He was speaking at the VK Murthy memorial lecture on cinematography on Thursday at the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes).
Varman, who was recently inducted into the American Society of Cinematographers gave instances where he had to improvise -- using a Handycam in Anniyan (2005). It became one of the most iconic scenes in Indian cinema. When questioned about whether he has a unique style of cinematography, he said he refuses to use similar techniques or having a particular style as it makes him "stale" and is unable to further improve his craft.
"I'm always innovating and working on new techniques and ideas," he added citing the example of using backlights in Barfi (2012). The idea came to him from how luxury brands display their products in advertisements.
The usage of 'backlights' has now become a staple in Indian cinema. He compared the relationship between a director and cinematographer to that of a married couple.
"The film is brought to life from the fights and arguments between them," he added, also saying "they each have to find their own place and work to find a common ground.
He takes pride that he has never rejected ideas from the director and he has always tried his best to deliver the director's vision.
"Modern cinematographers must spend a lot of time on DI (digital intermediate) in order to ensure that their shots are done justice and are edited in a way that their vision comes through," he emphasised.
Varman also revealed how he used AI to perform face replacements in 30 different shots in a recent film. "However, AI is too expensive to replace humans in filmmaking," he added.
The session concluded with Varman speaking about the importance of pre-production process. He hopes that the new generation will lead India to a new realm in cinematography.