 |
| K V Anandi with Rajnikant, Vivek on sets of Shivaji |
Sri: How important is good art direction for the film?
A lot. See after a good screenplay for any film three things are required. A good cameraman, a good art director and a good costume designer. If all this mixes well with the good screenplay then the film will workout. If that set is damaged or not in good condition, I used tele lenses and shallow aperture combination to make the background set not be in the focus. From Shivaji, I have learned a lot from art director Tarani Sir. He is much senior to me, and I always call him ‘sir’. He has done wonderful job for Shivaji too. Be it a heroine house or a huge set in Ramoji film city or the glass house in for a song all are extraordinary.
Sri : You are talking about the glass house set for the song.. How did you shoot it. What are the precautions you took not to get the reflections of the crew and camera in the mirrors.
It is challenging naturally. We roped urselfes in the black blankets so that our reflections will not be visible on the glass. No one was allowed to wear anything other then the black while that song was in process.
Sri : Without assisting anyone you directed a film in Tamil (later dubbed in Telugu as Kartavyam starring Sriram, Gopika and Prithivi raj).
See a photographer is the first assistant to any director. We can say a relation between a director and a cameraman is like husband and wife. A director will always discuss the minute details with the cameraman before the shot and after the shot. So in a way it is I am the first assistant to the renowned directors like Shankar, Rajkumar Santoshi, Mansoor Khan etc.. isn't it ??
Sri : Then how come you are not the cameraman for the your own film?
Because I do not want to take the double burden. See being a cameraman I always thought I never had enough time for light and shoot a scene totally the way I wanted. So sometimes for the time factor I have hurried a shot. Which I did not want in my film so took another friend for it.
Sri: Did you compromise as a director for this film?
(little hesitant) if given a choice I will start the film after the hero and heroine are married saving the twenty minutes of the film. But while making a commercial film I need to show their love before the marriage. So in a way it is a compromise.
Sri : But Shriya said you are always on the sets before them and were ready to shoot in the sets before the time.
True, but sometimes I compromised as other artists comes late. For a six am shot if an artist comes at nine am, we do not have the same light, which we have at six am. So I need to compromise the shot. Which would make anyone feel bad.
Sri: Shriya said a lot of good things about you.
It is nice of her. She is a good artist and true reader of books, I saw some heroines who just keep the books in their hands to keep away the public but she is real reader and we used to discuss about the books we read. Only one thing, which I didn’t, like in her is after every shot she used to come to monitor and see how it came and how she looks. Rajni sir, Amit sir nor Aishwarya never camera like that as they believed in me I think. She is a good girl in every other aspect.
Sri : What is the criteria for accepting a film for you?
Story and screenplay. I was offered Lajja and Legend Of Bhagat Singh i choose latter. Also after working with Shankar and Rajkumar Santoshi I worked with the new comer in Chellame as I liked the story and screenplay. It is not the big director or banner but the story and screenplay, which helps you to show your work.
Sri: What’s next?
I am working on a script. I might start the film as a director in next couple of months. I already discussed the line with couple of heroes. But nothing finalized so far. It will be Tamil and may be later dubbed into Telugu.
Interviewed by Sri Atluri
Edited by Nachaki and Sumana
Filmography in the next page
