CINEMATOGRAPHER SANTOSH SIVAN INTERVIEW

Yes, I have. But, do you want to hear the truth? All these new technologies don’t really work out here. In this digital era, quality has nothing to do with the kind of camera.
 

Red Dragon Digital with 6 K resolution, which we have used in Anjaan, is truly awesome, no questions about it. But at the end of the day, we use multiple cameras for shooting, ranging from Red Dragons to Go Pros, which are the most inexpensive equipments, to 5Ds and 7Ds.
 

So, when the footages finally go through an exhaustive phase of post-production, every footage must be matched. That also involves bringing down the quality of the sequences shot by the Red Dragon. And most importantly, when it comes to our theaters, the projection will be in 2K resolution.
 

So the reason behind exploiting these high end equipments is to keep ourselves on par with the international standards. 

Most of them have identities of their own and they have a way of doing things differently. Most importantly, they have radiance of sorts that draws people’s attention.
 

If you ask me what makes them standout as incredible performers, it is their ability to react. There’s acting and there’s reacting. Take actors like Mohanlal for example, they are like goal keepers. In which ever direction the ball travels, they jump instinctively towards it.

I’m not choosy. I just don’t take up too many projects, as I do a lot of other things too. I like making documentaries and small films. Hence, I don’t generally take up projects that go on for a long time. I mix it up – I do a film, then a documentary and then a small movie.
 

At the same time, I don’t want to be a workaholic. I like to have a little fun, to keep me from getting bored.

Secondly, I like to work with directors. I don’t want to sound too brash, but I don’t like it when actors recommend me. I don’t prefer being picked for a project based on the word of actors.

No film is easy. But, how you handle the difficulties is what matters. I will have to say Iruvar was the most difficult movie I have done. The film required the visuals to be very raw and authentic. It also demanded a lot of mise-en-scene, which aren’t easy to compose. Iruvar needed me to stick to the grammar of cinematography. Mani wanted old-school framing, but with current technologies.
 

Sometimes, cinematography is like a 5-day test match. Only if you know the game well you’ll be able to enjoy it thoroughly.

In the second part, we talk in detail about Mani Ratnam, the Inam controversy, his stalker, life after Padmashri and more.