Cinematographer Rajiv Menon may have consciously stayed away from Tamil cinema, but alumni from his film school, Mindscreen Film Institute, are keeping him in the spotlight.
Recently, Kaaka Muttai , a film made by a student, Manikandan, won the national film award.
“I want to do something unusual. There has to be a meeting of the minds,” he says, explaining why he does so few films. “I do one film every two-three years. I am erratic like that. However, I might be doing a Hindi film soon,” he says.
Mr. Menon spends much of his time making ad films and managing his film school. Recently, Mindscreen introduced a six-month intensive acting course.
The idea seems to fill the void that exists in Tamil Nadu today. “This has been planned at a time when even the Madras Film Institute has discontinued its acting course. Our course is designed for those who believe they have the potential and want to give cinema a try,” he says.
Does he believe such short-term courses can actually help acquire the necessary skills? “We may not create stars, but we can teach the methodology and process. An actor must know how to read a script, understand the character graph, and bring out what is said and the unsaid through his/her acting. This thought process can be taught,” he says.
While most cinematographers in the country are qualified, directors and actors have always flouted the norm. With free access to world cinema, especially popular television series, the bar has been raised significantly, he says.
“People often ask me why qualification is necessary for an actor and cite great actors, forgetting that a lot of good actors today have delivered several bad performances early on, and have been lucky,” he says, adding, “Formal training helps get rid of unforced errors and adds value to your craft.”
With Tamil cinema undergoing several changes in terms of trade and creative content, Mr. Menon feels embracing digital sound will further enrich Tamil cinema.
“We have fully transitioned to digital cinema, but we haven’t quite embraced digital sound. When we start recording the sound live, it literally brings out new dimensions. Embracing live sound will unleash the potential of our actors. We need qualified actors to do that,” he says.
The days when alumni from film institutes were associated with arty movies are long gone, he says.
“Look at Rajkumar Hirani. He is from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, but is one of the most commercially successful filmmakers around. Short-term courses may not be the best way to go about it, but if some of them are bagging national awards, then there must be something that is worth it,” he says.
