Randy and ‘Robot’

Accolades are a way of life for Ratnavelu, Randy to friends. The ace cinematographer of classics such as ‘Sethu’ and ‘Nanda,’ is at the zenith of joy. And why not? The man will be wielding the camera for one of the biggest fil m bonanzas of all time — ‘Robot.’ The Shankar-Rajini combo comes together again after ‘Sivaji’ and Randy is already singing paeans to director Shankar’s industriousness and organisational skills. “He narrated the story to me for a solid seven hours and God, was I zapped! With a sci-fi base, ‘Robot’ will have all the essential elements of an entertainer! And to think that I’m going to capture the racy drama is a great feeling. It’s like a cricketer getting a chance to play with Sachin Tendulkar,” he laughs.

For Randy, language, cast, banner or budget has never been the criterion for accepting a project. ‘Sethu’ was Bala’s first film when the two teamed up. Their compatibility was so perfect that despite a dozen offers after ‘Sethu,’ Randy went on to do ‘Nanda,’ Bala’s next. Randy doesn’t take up too much at a time and is very choosy about his assignments, which explains why ‘Robot’ is only his 14th film in as many years. “The story and screenplay alone matter,” he says. Very rarely have Randy’s choices gone awry. Like ‘February 14,’ for instance! “When a film doesn’t do well, your hard work goes unnoticed,” he observes.

AE STHETIC: Vaaranam Aayiram, one of the projects Ratnavelu (top centre) has worked on.

‘Cyanide,’ the Kannada film on the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi and their last few days as they lay holed up in a house, was made on a shoestring budget. But the response it elicited was tremendous and Ratnavelu’s work won acclaim. “I went to the actual house where Sivarasan and others had stayed to get a feel of the ambience,” Randy recalls. However, till date his cinematography in the Telugu ‘Jagadam’ remains a favourite with him.

Randy has just completed shooting for ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ — his first project with Gautham Menon. “I’ve known Gautham for long. ‘Vaaranam …’ will be a very different film — you’ll see Suriya’s various stages from a 17-year old to a sexagenarian,” he says. Gautham gave Randy a free hand as far as the camera went and at the end of it said, “You work very fast, and the best part is your camera helps in the storytelling.”

Updating his theoretical knowledge and keeping tabs on the innovations in his field are part of Randy’s daily routine. “I subscribe to international journals on photography and spend at least one hour everyday going through them. And wherever possible I try to introduce it in my work,” he says. He feels a cameraman shouldn’t succumb to the urge of capturing every scene aesthetically because realistic presentation could then become a casualty. “I’m very careful about keeping the camera work within the story and its requirements,” he says. Also he believes in giving ample space for actors to move about for a shot. “Restricting the movements could affect their performance,” he explains.

After having worked with the cream of the younger lot — Vikram, Vijay and Suriya — Ratnavelu sees ‘Robot’ as the next step forward. “Technically too, with the kind of wizardry that Shankar envisages, it will touch another level in filmmaking,” says Ratnavelu.

When people refer to cameramen as technicians Randy is piqued. “We are artists. From the colour scheme and texture of a shot to lighting and angles we craft artistically with an eye for detail. We have to be adept at editing, sound, music and artwork. That’s why cameramen make good directors” — Randy sounds rather exasperated. But remind him of ‘Robot’ and almost at once he sports a broad smile. “Shankar and I are leaving for South America tomorrow to select locations for the film,” he says.

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