The premise given by Vikram Kumar, director of the upcoming 24, to cinematographer S. Tirru was clear: It is a story that spans the past and the present, and features three main characters, all played by Suriya. “The cinematography has to draw the audience into the screenplay, he said,” says Tirru (Thirunavukarasu), who had little hesitation in accepting the challenge. “When you have a producer (Suriya) who understands the requirements of technology and does not look to cut corners, the cinematographer’s work becomes easy. I have shot 24 with the best camera — Arri Alexa — and used motion control and VFX, aspects that have really helped me in capturing the right tones and textures,” says Tirru, who, 15 years ago, used motion control for the first time in Kamal’s Aalavandhan.
Tirru learnt his chops by assisting P. C. Sreeram for over four years. He was noticed by Kamal Haasan during the making of Thevar Magan , and roped in for director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s Magalir Mattum (produced by Kamal). “I was almost summarily dismissed by the director as he wasn’t used to working with novices, but I was able to prove my technical worth in the opening shots, with a lot of help from Kamal, who had immense faith in my capabilities,” says Tirru.
It is this technical prowess, along with his willingness to experiment that convinced director Vikram Kumar and Suriya to sign him up for 24 . “The film kept throwing up challenges during shooting. The story oscillates between the past and the present, and has the hero playing a triple role. The period shifts had to be seamless and had to be conveyed through the right colour tones. While we used makeup to differentiate between two roles, we used prosthetics for the other,” says Tirru.
It also helped that Vikram Kumar discussed every scene at length and often argued with him about camera angles, lighting and camera movement. “Our discussions helped tremendously, and are why 24 will engage the audience visually. We often improvised on the go. For many sequences, we used the same lens to ensure that the visuals were consistent. In a way, the camera just acts as the eyes of the audience,” says Tirru. “Some of these ideas were used in The Revenant .”
According to Tirru, a multitude of emotions can be conveyed simply by the usage of good lighting and appropriate camera angles. “Some of these shots were well-described in the screenplay; it means that Vikram was really in sync with the whole process of cinematography. Also, in many scenes, I have used a handheld camera to give you the feeling of being amid the action.”
Tirru’s career has now spanned two decades, and more than 25 films. Experience, he says, has taught him more than any institute ever could. “But I still read a lot of books, browse websites about cinematography, and keep myself updated with the latest techniques. When a movie like 24 comes my way, I use all that knowledge,” he says.
