Malayalam directors usher in a new cinematic language
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The storyline maybe extraordinary or clichéd but it is the visual treatment given to a movie that brings life to the script and makes it effective. Crafting the perfect shot is necessary to capture the eye and add to the beauty on the big screen. Well, the art of cinematography is undergoing a sea change and directors are open to experiments.
Cinematographer Shyju Khalid is all happy about the success of the latest release 22 Female Kottayam.
“Directors are now looking for cinematographers who can break the monotony and shoot films in a different way,” says he.
22 FK, which was shot on a multi-camera, was a big challenge for the cinematographer. “It is a thriller-cum-romance movie. In the first half, there is romance and suddenly a rape scene, so I had to add a lot of grays to give that effect. And, the climax was the most challenging part, as it’s very dramatic and I had to add the proper effect to retain the mood. Here, the subject was a little dark so I could experiment, but in normal movies you can’t do much of an experiment. Also, you have to keep in mind the taste of Malayalis,” says Shyju.
Says cinematographer Shehnad Jalal, who won the State award in 2010 for cinematography for his debut feature film Chitrasutram: “Every medium, whether film or digital, has a different feel. It entirely depends on the script on how to treat the movie.”
Shehnad, who handled the camera for Ee Adutha Kalathu, has effectively captured the scenes for the multiple narrative story.
“In EAK, the visual treatment is very realistic. The lighting is simple and I have tried to give full life to the movie. The best part is that directors are receptive to changes,” he adds.
The digital era in Mollywood movies began with the movie Chappa Kurishu. It is the first feature film that was entirely shot in digital format using a Canon 7D still camera.
For cinematographer Jomon, his debut movie Chappa Kurishu was completely experimental. Says he, “It was a low budget movie and director Samir Tahir and I have already done various ads on still camera, so we are not much worried about the quality of the movie.”
Jomon adds, “We didn’t know how a full-fledged movie would look on the big screen, so after the test shoots and processing, the screening was done at Savitha Theatre in Kochi and then only we proceeded with the work.”
Director V.K. Prakash liked his work on digital camera and he was roped in for Beautiful. “Every film cannot be shot on digital camera, it has its pros and cons. On a still camera, it’s difficult to focus and there are certain lighting problems as well," remarks Jomon.
The trend is slowly changing in Mollywood movies. After Chappa Kurishu and Salt N Pepper, directors are now opting for digital camera over films for its low-cost.
Says Shyju Khalid, “Digital cameras are providing good results, although there are some side-effects such as it can’t hold high lights compared to a movie camera and the resolution is also less. But with multi-camera techniques, an actor is more comfortable as you can place the camera in different angles and need not retake any shot.”
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