Cinematographer Tirru began his film career with Kamal Haasan’s Magalir Mattum in 1994. Twenty-three years later, he stands tall as an established technician with a ‘National Award for Best Cinematography’ for his work in Suriya’s 24 . Edited excerpts from an interview:
How did you feel when you heard the news?
I was in a theatre watching Kaatru Veliyidai , when Suriya sir called to tell me I’d won. Everyone in my circle felt that this was long-pending. I’m happy that I finally got it. I wasn’t actually expecting an award for my work in 24 but I thought Suriya sir would win the ‘Best Actor’ honour.”
What was your biggest challenge in doing 24 ?
24 had a never-seen-before premise; it wasn’t regular in any sense. It involved fantasy (a futuristic lab, a scientist, a time machine), and we had to use our imagination. That was the biggest challenge. It isn’t easy to satisfy Suriya, and as a producer, he was never worried about expenses. This attitude encouraged the technicians too, and that’s why the output was so good.”
How did director Vikram Kumar react to your award? And will 24 ’s awards increase the possibility of a sequel?
Even generally, Vikram Kumar feels on top of the world; now he’s doubly happy with unbridled excitement. He called me three or four times and told me that the paper-to-screen translation is very difficult for such films, and that I had pulled it off, beautified it and managed to get an award too. Part 2 is planned, but it won’t happen for now. A Hindi remake is also in the offing.
AR Murugadoss has tweeted that the National Awards committee has been biased in their work. Any comments?
When we get an award, it’s all good, but when we don’t, it doesn’t mean that the committee is biased. We are generally prone to such opinions. India is a huge country, with many languages, and the committee has to weigh in a lot of factors before deciding. Prior to this, I was expecting an award for many films, but didn’t make it; I didn’t feel then that the awards were biased. These awards should just be seen as an encouragement. One’s talent can never be gauged by National Awards.
Up next are Vanamagan and Sangamithra …
Vijay’s Vanamagan has a new approach to the story. When we are shooting amidst Nature, we can’t tweak or change things. We have to understand, adapt and capture it accordingly. Sangamithra is still in the discussion stage. The legendary Rama Narayanan sir was a pioneer in VFX films and I’m very happy to work under his banner. Be it Sabu Cyril or RC Kamalakannan, they are all buddies. I’m happy to join Sundar C and team.
