Photographer Karthik Srinivasan is tired of shooting “pretty pictures”. Of late, he is more drawn to things that are edgy. That explains the concept for his calendar for 2020. Titled The Royals, the calendar this year features 17 celebrities from the Tamil and Telugu film industries. It features Shruti Haasan and Jiiva in January, followed by Aishwarya Rajesh, STR, Raiza Wilson, Atharvaa, Oviya Helen, Ram Pothineni, Gayathrie Shankar, Bharath, Nikki Galrani, Vishnu Vishal, Nidhhi Agerwal, Priya Anand, Megha Akash, Arun Vijay and Regina Cassandra.
“I decide the line-up based on their birthday months and the sets based on their personality,” explains Karthik. So, the looks they sport are different from the usual staid gowns that one associates with royalty and celebrity. Instead, think slinky lace outfits, outrageous wigs, frilly maxis in blues, whites, pinks, teamed with asymmetrical cuts and tiaras in different shapes, hues and sizes. The men sport a dark wardrobe, with an intense look. “I wanted their skin to look natural. I made them look tanned and dusky, and there were no touch-ups. In fact, if you look closely, you can see a few natural marks on their skin. I don’t believe in changing the way someone looks. None of them had a problem... that is the kind of confidence they have in me,” he says.
Atharvaa in the calendar
The sets vary for each of the shoots. For some of them, he even converted his studio in Besant Nagar into a set. The props (shortlisted to 20 from 50) range from flowers, brambles and the moon to swords and even a husky. Karthik knew exactly what he wanted, and got most of them shipped in from the US. He also looked at Game of Thrones for inspiration, he says.
“What is fun about a shoot such as this is that you can bring in creativity. It is entirely what you visualise that is brought to life,” says Karthik, who has been shooting for nearly two decades now. The idea, he says, is to portray actors in a different light. He admits that the whole process — from creating the concept to convincing celebrities to do it — can be taxing. His excitement about this yearly project can be gauged from the fact that he begins work on the following year’s work, a year in advance.
Karthik Srinivasan
Sometimes, getting dates that coordinate can be a challenge. “Since I have known most of them and have shot their first portfolios, I have a good rapport with them,” he adds. Each actor dedicates an entire day for the shoot. This is not the time-consuming part, says Karthik, adding that the pre-production and setting up is what actually takes time. “I normally start work in November, and am done in two months,” he says.
The calendar can be viewed on Instagram. His handle is karthiksrinivasan007.
