As the promotional battle between Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan escalates,a connection they share is with cinematographer Ravi K Chandran. Ravi, who is now in Los Angeles, shooting with King Khan for Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, talks about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ) and Ghajini…
How was it to be the director of photography
for two of the biggest films of the year – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ) and Ghajini?
It’s a rare honour to be part of two of the biggest movies, and I should say I’m lucky. Both movies have big stars — SRK and Aamir. Both movies also have big directors, Aditya Chopra and A R Murugadoss.
How different are the acting styles of SRK and Aamir?
SRK is a very smart man. He never shows how hard he works or how well he prepares himself for a scene. But when the camera begins to roll, he comes alive. He is a people’s man — he connects with the crew and knows most of them by name, greets them and even teases them. I share a fantastic rapport and good professional relationship with him. I have been lucky to be associated with Aamir Khan for a long time and have worked in three films with him — Dil Chahtha Hai (DCH), Fanna and now, Ghajini. I got a lot of critical acclaim for the camera work for DCH. We respect and give each other space. He is a well-read guy and knows the nuances of filmmaking. He is extremely hard working, focussed and completely dedicated.
Which of the two films was more challenging?
Ghajini has been the most challenging film of my career. There was a lot of action. It’s a big film in terms of locations and the number of days of shoot. On the other hand, RNBDJ is about three people and the entire film was shot on sets, which made it easier.
How was it working with Aditya Chopra and Murugadoss?
Adi is a very planned person. He knows exactly what he wants, how he is going to cut the film, how many shots will be retained and the mood of the scene. It’s very difficult to change his views and opinions. So, whatever you see in this film is how he visualised it. I merely enhanced it by lighting and compositions.
Murgadoss, on the other hand, is open to discussion and change. Ghajini is a super hit Tamil film already and he knows the impact that every scene should have. He gives me a free hand and expects me to enhance scenes. I could try new ideas like using different lenses, locations in Namibia or the colours of a wall in a set or costumes. Since Ghajini is a look-based film, we went all out to enhance the movie. Murgadoss is going to be the next big director in Bollywood.
How was it shooting for the two movies?
The way songs were picturised in RNBDJ was very new to me. Movements are very fluid and look effortless on screen but operating the camera and setting up the equipment was very difficult. If you look at the Haule, Haule… song, the steady shots were very complicated. We had to make special rigs and rehearse the full song for two days before the shoot. The look in Ghajini is very striking. It involved a lot of camera movement and MTV-like quick, flashy nar ratives. The love story and the action scenes have two different looks. We followed those looks as they were very good. R D Rajasekar, the cameraman of the Tamil version, did a fantastic job and I have done my best to live up to expectations.
Who is more photogenic, Anushka or Asin?
Asin is more photogenic since she knows all the tricks of the trade. Anushka is quite new. But for a newcomer, she is very good. Asin will become big in Bollywood – she’s talented, hard working and totally focussed.
