His first Indian film was the gore fest Go Goa Gone , but it was Yennai Arindhaal that brought Australian cinematographer Dan MacArthur success and critical acclaim. Excerpts:
Your first Indian film,Go Goa Gone , was also the country’s first zombie film. The shift to romantic drama (Acham Enbathu Madamaiyada) and then to action (Yennai Arindhaal) must have been difficult for you …
I was introduced to directors Raj and DK by sound recordist Jordi Cirbian I’d worked with, as the duo were looking for someone new. I don’t like to get pigeon-holed into a particular genre. I like to show my versatility and also employ that into my philosophy of cinematography. I challenge myself every day to push boundaries.
You’re currently working on the Simbu-GVM project (Acham Enbathu Madamaiyada), which is said to be a romantic road movie. Is this genre more exciting for a cinematographer?
We haven’t had the time to scout for locations that involve the travel part of the film. As far as outdoor shoots are concerned, the scenery and weather call the shots. You can’t predict how the light will be and could return without the shot you wanted. What I love about a cinematographer’s work is lighting and framing. Those are the two fundamentals that determine one’s style.
Compared to the work you’ve done in Australia, do you feel the D.O.P has more scope to experimenthere?
Australian films tend to be made under faster, tighter deadlines, so the emphasis to shoot the call sheet everyday governs a lot of decisions you make. With Yennai Arindhaal , I was given the chance to spend the time I needed to light creatively and shoot what we wanted. It really depends on the director and the liberties he is willing to give you. I’ve been fortunate to work with directors who are interested in my input, keeping the collaborative process alive. This makes every day exciting because you never know what will come next as far as those daily discoveries are concerned.
The scene in which Ajith turns against Arun Vijay and gang inYennai Arindhaalhas achieved cult status.
Actually, we canned a couple of shots leading to that moment, which were edited out, because Gautham made it clear that he wanted to spring that surprise without much build-up by just cutting straight to the weapon. I thought it was really cool and that’s what’s great about working with him.
Sometimes, he is very sure about how he wants to play things out and at other times, he likes to go with my suggestion where I will be given the flexibility to find a unique angle or even a happy accident. If you don’t allow the unknown to happen, you will miss out on incredible moments.
Each time period inYennai Arindhaalseems strikingly different. How did you achieve that?
I made quite a few subtle decisions to differentiate time. With the older flashbacks, I used more depth of field, which means a deeper range of focus. In the film days, that was something always adopted. In the modern era, I did the opposite and went in for a narrow focus — characteristic of modern shooting done on digital cameras and SLRs. For most of the modern scenes in the dark, I feel this gave the realistic touch that old films lacked because of the use of large lights. Besides, deliberate colour changes in costumes and lighting helped establish the different time periods.
Shooting songs must have been something new?
Yes, I really enjoyed shooting the dance scenes. It took me back to my music video days when I had a lot of freedom with lighting. I loved how this culture of celebration through dancing has such an effect on Indian audiences.
How difficult was it to communicate with the crew?
I never seem to have too much of a problem. I use all sorts of signals to get my point across and the crew has got used to my way of doing things swiftly. With the dialogues, Gautham or the first AD would explain what was happening in the scene so I could get the drift.
Which Indian films and cinematographers have impressed you?
I obviously admire Gautham’s expertise as a director and also New Wave filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Abhinay Deo. I am looking forward to watching more Indian cinema in the various regions, as I understand the culture better and what audiences expect from a film.
You have directed films as well. Has direction taken a backseat because of cinematography?
Yes, direction is a part of my career and I’m looking forward to resuming it soon. Sometimes, I feel it’s good to take a break, as it gives me more clarity when I get involved again. My partner Mel Poole and I are starting work on a project which will be shot in India. So that’s going to be a great adventure to look forward to.
