CINEMATOGRAPHER SANTOSH SIVAN INTERVIEW

Mani Ratnam is one of the best visual directors in the country. MF Hussain, though in a very different way, was also a very visual person.
 

As far as actors, after some time they understand the art of cinematography. Rana Daggubatti can handle a steady-cam well and he has a good understanding of compositions and framing.
 

Mostly it is not about the knowledge. If you have the interest you can always pick things up.

From whatever I have noticed, there’s no difference in the level of talent, but, we treat our art with a lot more respect. For instance, take Chenda Melam artistes. They do not need an audience to perform. They light a lamp and perform. It applies to almost all art forms in this part of the country. We worship our art and it runs through our veins.
 

Art is spiritual to us. We dedicate our talents to our deities by performing around it. For cinematographers like me, nature is the deity. Also nature played a very crucial part in me becoming a cinematographer.
 

I used to play Hockey for the Kerala state, when I was young. As a team player, my job was also to observe the chances of rain. So every day as a routine, I’d go to the terrace and look at the skies. Gradually, the skies started to take over my imagination. Some days, they’d have streaks of lights passing through them, with the sun playing in its full capabilities. The next day the dark clouds would take over and make the greens around me look more vibrant. Every day, the skies gave me a different experience and I started to enjoy it. Back then I didn’t know I was going to learn photography and become a cinematographer one day. But, later I started realizing that I had become a cinematographer gradually and not in a span of few years when I learnt photography. I realized I was observing things for most part of the day and the art was actually becoming a part of me. I observed the lights, their nature and their behaviors. I understood that everything that is beautiful was there in front of us and we just have to notice it. 

Things have been happening very fast lately. The good thing is that, with the birth of the digital technology, more youngsters are braving into cinema, which is a great sign. Filmmaking is becoming easier.
 

Children are learning to use their mobile phones and the camera, even before they learn to read properly. It is good to see that visual medium is getting more accessible. But, I’m not sure yet if it is a good or a bad sign as a whole.
 

Earlier, we used to sketch a lot. Sketching involved a lot of observation. Today, we take snaps and it’s done in seconds. I don’t want the current generation to miss out on the awesomeness in observing things. I’m saying this because, not everyone who can read and write becomes writers. Similarly, taking snaps alone cannot make you good cinematographers.

I don’t see it that way. For instance, when a musician makes a film, he makes it very musical. If a sound engineer makes a movie, he might use the audio medium to narrate the story. So, no matter how you present it, in the end there is always a story.
 

I think visual is a universal language. So, when I do a film, there’ll definitely be a heavy influence of the art that I know well.

Same as the life before Padma Shri. All the awards I’ve been blessed with, be it the fourteen National Awards or the Padma Shri, I consider them as impetus to do more good work. I consider every recognition as a starting point. It allows me to challenge myself every time. In these pacy times, it helps me stay passionate, alert and flexible, so that I can remain competitive. It is also the secret to my eternal youth (laughs)!

Thank You Mr.Santosh Sivan! It was an honour!