After Show that released in 2002 and Maro Charitra in 2012, cinematographer Ravi Yadav returns to Telugu cinema with Manjula-directed Manasuku Nacchindi . He’s also working on GV Prakash-Rajiv Menon movie in Tamil and expresses his interest to direct a Telugu film and also continue to work as a cinematographer in Telugu films.
Basically, a Telugu man, Ravi studied in Chennai and married a Malayalee and is living in Mumbai doing Hindi movies. “My wife did costumes for Maro Charitra . In my childhood, my mother who was a movie buff, would take me to watch films often, travelling from Thiruthani to Puttur.” he says, adding, “I was doing B.Sc in my undergraduation but realised that was not my cup of tea. So I dropped out and got into film school and specialised in cinematography. I got to see international works in film school and I got fascinated with the visuals. I started interacting with others, and read up a lot. I trained myself that way.”
He shares, “Selvamani, Rajiv Menon and I were classmates. Rajiv Menon set up an advertising firm, I was associated with him for some time. Two years later I established my own company to produce films. I produced two films in Tamil, my first was when I was 23 and I turned cinematographer when I was 22 years old. So imagine the passion with which we worked. I believed in the saying, ‘create an opportunity rather than looking out for one’.”
Rajiv Menon and he are collaborating for the first time to come up with a Telugu project. He elaborates, “Telugu audience loves entertainment based stories. The audience in Telangana or Andhra watch more Telugu films or any film for that matter. If a film is a hit in Telugu, the quantity of films and the sectors it caters to is large than Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Mumbai. It is good for a producer. Politics play an important role in Chennai. From 1964 to now we saw only film people becoming chief ministers. Tamil audiences are a divided lot; Entertainment and politics divided the audience. The Telugu audience still roots for cinema alone.”
Finally he talks of his director Manjula and the extensive footage of nature. Every time she spoke passionately of living life, the sun rise etc.
Ravi realised the need for apt visuals. Manjula believed that if she tells something from her heart it will work. I gave her some points but she stuck to her gut feeling.
The team woke up early to catch nature in all its glory and also worked in tough situations. Like I mentioned, she was adamant about what she wanted and I executed my work only as a DoP and never interfered in her script or whatever. She is the captain of the ship.”
