<p>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. </p><p>He was speaking at the VK Murthy memorial lecture on cinematography on Thursday at the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). </p>.BIFFes 2025: Superstars don’t want to do romantic films anymore, says Gautham Menon.<p>Varman, who was recently inducted into the American Society of Cinematographers gave instances where he had to improvise -- using a Handycam in <em>Anniyan</em> (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. </p><p>"I'm always innovating and working on new techniques and ideas," he added citing the example of using backlights in <em>Barfi </em>(2012). The idea came to him from how luxury brands display their products in advertisements. </p><p>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. </p><p>"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.</p><p>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.</p><p>"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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p>
<p>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. </p><p>He was speaking at the VK Murthy memorial lecture on cinematography on Thursday at the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). </p>.BIFFes 2025: Superstars don’t want to do romantic films anymore, says Gautham Menon.<p>Varman, who was recently inducted into the American Society of Cinematographers gave instances where he had to improvise -- using a Handycam in <em>Anniyan</em> (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. </p><p>"I'm always innovating and working on new techniques and ideas," he added citing the example of using backlights in <em>Barfi </em>(2012). The idea came to him from how luxury brands display their products in advertisements. </p><p>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. </p><p>"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.</p><p>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.</p><p>"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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p>