Issue 2, 2010 Volume 7 - Kodak

6
Surf Excel
While Muraleedharan has shot dozens of commercials over the past few
years with a variety of ad filmmakers, his commitment to feature films
doesn’t leave him with too much time for advertising. “Generally I do ad
films in between feature films because I spend a lot of time on pre-
production for feature films and it’s difficult to shuffle between the two.
And I don’t do too many ads. Feature films are more strenuous and the
responsibility is much more.”
But ad films offer him a great deal of variety in terms of creative
challenge. “Recently I shot a commercial for Eno outside shady
restaurants in Byculla with minimal lighting. It has a very different
ambience. Today, every script can be innovative so things don’t get
repetitive. Also, the audience is now used to seeing all kinds of images
on television and the internet. So they won’t believe anything you show
them unless you’re sure about where you want to lead them. And you
can’t copy or repeat things because you’ll get caught out very easily.”
Bajaj
He has also worked with international directors shooting commercials in
India and often their perception of India as exotica has a role to play in
the kind of films they make. “I shot an ad for HSBC which required the
ambience of a dance shoot with a fort façade as the backdrop. They
wanted 200 dancers and elephants and a grand feel to the images. It
was fun doing that too.”
But he continues to be selective about his scripts and directors. “I work
with directors like Prakash Verma, Vinil Mathew, Rajesh Krishnan, who
wait for good scripts and shoot on their own terms. I’ve also shot ads
with Raju (Rajkumar) Hirani and we’ve worked on two feature films
together. It’s nice working with the same directors again because the
tuning is set and it becomes that much easier.”
Muraleedharan is now preparing to shoot Agent Vinod for Shriram
Raghavan and once he immerses himself in the film it’ll be goodbye to
advertising for some time, yet again. “My ad film directors are used to
my ways now. They know that I’m only available if there’s no feature film
underway. I can’t do both things simultaneously.”
Cadbury's
Keeping up
with the
TIMES
In this interaction with R.G. Vijayasarathy, DOP R. Giri talks about his career
and the changing trends in the cinematography today.
He is always cool and composed. Being a veteran director of cine-
matography in the Kannada film industry, R.Giri can command a lot
of attention, but he is always a low profile man, just concentrating
on his work. But his work speaks for him. Recently he made news by
working on a film, Sugreeva, which was shot in just 18 hours creating
a record of sorts in the Kannada film industry.
He has worked for several big projects including the hugely success-
ful films like Budhdhivantha, Anna Thangi, Tavarige Baa Thangi,
Maharaja, Veerappa Nayaka and many others. His other films
include Raavana, Devaru Kotta Thangi, Bhagyadha Balegaara, Mohini,
Shubham, Thipparalli Tharlegalu and Bindaas Hudugi. Giri has really
made an impact with his craft and innovative shot takings. He
believes that discipline and hard work are the most important fac-
tors for progress in the career of cinematographer.
Sugreeva
D e s p i t e w o r k i n g i n m a n y
Kannada films and with all the
big directors and superstars you
remain aloof from the limelight.
Why do you remain low profile
always?
I normally shun all film parties
and also the pre-release press
meets of films. What is the use
in talking about our own work
before the release of any film? I
think the cinematographer’s job
has to be analyzed by the people
and the film fraternity after the
release of the film. Our work
should speak for us and I believe
that any amount of trumpeting
your achievements in press
meets will not bring in laurels,
though it may boost your ego a
bit. The appreciation your work
receives in media and also by
fans after watching the film is
more important than media
coverage. I respect the reviews
more than what my colleagues
working with me in films would
tell me about my work. I will
normally disassociate myself
f r o m a n y p r e - p u b l i c i t y
campaigns mainly because my
job is to just translate the vision
of a director on screen and the
film is just a reflection of a
director’s concept.
But every artiste and technician
thinks he is a commodity in
today’s competitive world and
wants to promote himself?
Don’t you feel isolated in this
marketing blitz?
I don’t think the people who are
so conscious about films will
accept whatever is said in press
meets. Louis Armstrong, one of
the greatest exponents of Jazz,
is believed to have said, “If you
cannot blow your own trumpet,
who else will?” But I think
Armstrong, being a genius, must
have said it in jest. Even his
achievements were appreciated
by music lovers and were not
analyzed in the background of
the statements made by him. I
don’t think I have been isolated
in this industry as every film
personality knows that I am
greatly skilled and I have my
work in films to prove that I can
be trusted.
Raavana
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