Ravi K Chandran frankly admits that his achievements as a cinematographer mean very little when it comes to directing a feature film. “It is not easy,” says the soft-spoken Ravi, arguably one of the finest cinematographers in the country. “Writing and directing a film is a different ball game. You need to tell a good story,” he says.
So, when did he really decide that he wanted to direct a full-length feature film? “I have been eager to direct a film for quite some time. A newspaper article inspired me to write the script for Yaan and go ahead with direction,” he reveals. Talking about Yaan , starring Jiiva and Thulasi Nair, Ravi says, “It is a romantic action thriller about a young man who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a crisis.” He adds he has tried to document the life of the Tamils living in Matunga, Mumbai.
Big-budget film
With a lot riding on Yaan , the debut director acknowledges how lucky he is to do such a big-budget film with a big star cast. “In the past, cinematographers who became directors had to work with a small budget and a lesser known hero,” he says. Ravi is also aware of the high expectations the audience might have about Yaan , but he has stuck to the basics. “I don’t want people to say that I have made up for lack of content with beautiful frames.”
That doesn’t mean the film will not have a distinct colour or tone, something we have come to expect from Ravi. Apart from Mumbai, Yaan will be shot in the crooked lanes of Morocco, a country often featured in Hollywood films. “We are going to shoot in places where Body of Lies and the Bourne films were shot,” beams Ravi.
Ask him why he has decided to direct a Tamil film instead of one in Hindi, and he points out that Bollywood isn’t all that welcoming when cinematographers want to become directors. “This is mainly due to the fact that the success rate of cinematographers who have turned directors is very low, with the exception of a few like Govind Nihalani. They think a cameraperson will not be able to tell a story.” But he feels that’s not the case with the Tamil film industry. “People here clap when they see the name of P. C. Sreeram or Balu Mahendra on screen. They recognise me when I go out. It doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world.”
Will his Yaan change the mindset of those up North?
