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In a captivating conversation, distinguished cinematographer Ravi Chandran reflects on his experiences working with the legendary director Mani Ratnam, particularly on the film ‘Yuva’ and its Tamil counterpart ‘Aayutha Ezhuthu.
’ With a career spanning decades, Chandran shares insights into the creative decisions behind the cinematography of both films, emphasizing the distinct looks crafted for each character and the significance of subtle nuances in storytelling.Here are the excerpts from the conversation:You had the unique privilege to shoot both versions of Mani Ratnam’s Yuva?“Yes, ‘Yuva’ and its Tamil version called ‘Aayutha Ezhuthu’ were shot the same year actually, but we never shot the films together.
We shot the Tamil version separately and the Hindi version separately. So, each one had its own set of different locations, different takes.”“Basically, in that film, we desired three different looks for three different characters. And each character has its own behavior. For example, Lallan’s character, which was played by Abhishek Bachchan, is a very edgy, violent man. And, you know, Ajay Devgan’s character is a very calm, composed character, a very level-headed person.”
“And Vivek Oberoi's character is the young dreamer who wants to leave India and go and settle down in the U.S. So, that is his dream. He doesn't see the world around him. So, we shot him only with telephoto lenses; the background goes out of focus, and you don't see much around him. Whereas, in Ajay Devgan's portion, we shot everything in very well-composed, choreographed shots. And Abhishek's character, we shot mostly in wider angles, in a handheld kind of feel, a little edgy and shaky kind of shooting style we used.
”Even the colour palettes were different for the three characters?“Yes, each protagonist in Yuva was given a separate colour palette in terms of costume or the environment, whether it's a car or a location. We chose things not like an ad film, but very subtly. But people remember it like that now. We used blue for Vivek’s character in the Vivek-Kareena track, and in the Rani and Abhishek track, we used a lot of red and black.
Green is for Ajay Devgan’s character.”Which version did you like working on better?“I really like the Hindi version because it had a unique background, which was very, very different and very beautiful to shoot. Also, all the actors were really good in Hindi. So, they delivered different, interesting kinds of performances. Abhishek, I think, won many awards for this performance.”You have just completed Thug Life with Mani Ratnam…
“It’s the same Mani Ratnam. Same speed, same energy, same vision—in a sense, a very focused kind of filmmaking. I am shooting with him after 21 years. So, now, when this film was announced, I jumped at the offer. It is a great experience working with the two legends Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan. And, of course, another A R Rahman. And A. Sreekar Prasad is the editor. So, top-notch technicians worked in the film. I hope everyone likes this film and makes it a great success, because there is so much hard work we have put into it.
And, as an audience member, I am also expecting to see the film in full form with great sound and visuals.”
English (US)