Movies such as Barfi and Ramleela have taken him to the heights of success. He is amongst the top ten on IMDB’s list of South Indian cinematographers. He is versatile and holds critically acclaimed movies to his credit, but the man believes that he is still a learner. To him, the thirst to acquire knowledge in the realm of film-making is never-ending. While many might have crumbled under the pressure life has put him through, Ravi chose otherwise. “Challenges and hardships make me grow. I never plan. I look at situations critically. My circumstances make me stronger and better with each passing day. I want to try new things, things no Indian film has produced. I learn from my mistakes. In Dasavathaaram, the screenplay was amazing.We lost only because of make-up and CG. The CG in India still has to grow.Little mistakes like these would never happen again. I will watch out like I have until now.”
A Tragic Past
There are a zillion stories out there but there are only a few that leave an ever-lasting impression. Ravi Varman’s story is one such story and as a listener, there’s only one thought that hits you immediately – how did someone get so far in life, against such insurmountable odds?“I spent my early days in a village called Poyyoundarkudikkadunear Tanjore.I lost my mother as a child and back then, nobody knew about photos, no one had a camera and I did not have a single picture of her.I was obviously yearning to see my mom and it so happened that a photographer in the village had clicked one at my parents’ wedding. I went to the studio and I was told that the picture was out of focus.”For Ravi, life was not very forgiving back then. “After a point, I became very lonely and couldn’t stay in my village any longer. I hail from a royal family and I lost my parents to politics.The entire family was shattered. I couldn’t continue studying and I had to leave the city. I didn’t know how to survive. I tried to commit suicide on a train track for which I was arrested and jailed. I was held there for sixteen days. When I came out, I caught a train, stayed in the restrooms and traveled to Chennai. I couldn’t stand those sad, haunting memories. But I had to go on with life.”
At this point, he was literally transported to his tragic past. “There was this lawyer in Chennai and he offered to help me. I was 14 and he gave me a job. Though I was ready for any kind of job, I wasn’t informed that I would be treated like a servant.In a few days, I told him that I wanted to go back to my village. I had only 13 rupees and that was enough to take me to Tanjore. But this guy took all the money I was left with and let me go assuming I would come back to him. I decided I would never. That night I slept under a tree in Alwarpet, one opposite Kamal Hassan’s house. I survived only on water. I used to sleep under the bridge, in car parks, in a corner at the beach and my days moved on like that for about two to three months. Following which,I remember fainting on a road close to Music Academy. A guy helped me, gave me water and offered to buy me some tea. I denied and asked for a job instead. He was a waiter in Hotel Amaravati opposite Music Academy. I was given a job and food there. It’s etched in my brain, that feeling. I’ll never forget that meal.”
Light at the End of the Tunnel
As dramatic and as movie-like his past might seem, his story is gripping in a poignant manner.He continues, “The guy who helped me was an aspiring actor and as soon as his work got over, he used to take his cycle and go to all the possible cinema offices. I used to tag along. The first month, I got paid 150 Rupees. I went to Moore Market to shop and I came across a camera shop. I picked up a camera for 125 Rs in an impulse and I also bought a book on cinematography.I started clicking random photographs. After a point, the camera wasn’t working properly and with a doubtful mind, I opened it to take a look inside. The film was stuck. I closed it immediately and when I took it to the studio, they told me I shouldn’t have opened it as the negatives got fogged. Something about the camera inspired me and I couldn’t help but think of my mother’s photograph that was out of focus. After six months, I realized I shouldn’t be a waiter at a hotel. I knew I belonged to another world.”
According to Ravi, to become famous, you either become a politician or a sports person or get into the film industry and he chose films. He says with films, a mind is the only capital. “I wanted to become an assistant director but nobody would take me in. So I decided to become an assistant cameraman, which again was not a piece of cake.”Hence, he began as an office boy which led him to greener pastures.
The First Big Leap
After becoming an assistant cameraman there was no looking back for Ravi. People thought that he was the highest paid assistant cameraman. He worked day and night relentlessly. “I had just gotten married. I told my wife I could not work as an assistant anymore and I had to make my own movies but nobody gave me a chance and all they wanted was a showreel.” Ravi continued to make plenty of commercials but that didn’t help him either. Just when things had gone out of hands again, he received good news. “I got an opportunity from the Malayalam film director TK Rajeev Kumar. I was very excited to meet him as I knew he only worked with big DOPs.I was also scared at the same time as the competition was fierce and they were looking to make an art film. The Budget was only 11 lakhs.”
To develop his skills, he took references, learned from books and other movies. He followed the procedure from a guidance book American Cinematographer.But when the negative came out, the director called him in and began yelling. “He was so disappointed. I had no clue what had gone wrong. I went to the lab and there was some technical error. Everything was overexposed. The image was completely white and there were no details. The book said that with high voltage calibration, the print would come out fine. I finally spoke to the lab people to find out what had gone wrong in the process.I was not informed of the one-stop overexpose they had done. After I told the technician of the possible rectification, he denied it saying it would be too risky.” However, Ravi was persistent. It was his first chance in life and it was a do or die situation. Amazingly, the print was beautiful once they corrected it. “I was appreciated for my work. Life began on a positive journey after this.”
On Barfi and Ramleela
Choosing a path less trodden might seem exciting and make a person feel heroic but it’s never that easy. With risks come doubts and fears. To Ravi, this has been the secret to his success. “I had my fears! I had to give my best in Barfi, especially because it was going to be a silent film and the visuals would speak for themselves. There could be no room for mistakes,” he says. According to him, the basic idea was to give a whole new perspective on a story or genre that often is typified as clichéd. “In Barfi, I decided to give a happy and colorful perspective to the movie. Not the grey, sad tone that movies of this genre usually portray,” he adds. The Director of Photography has the power to manipulate the mood of the story. Ravi Varman has mastered that art.
When asked about Ramleela, Ravi is lost in thoughts with a glint in his eyes. “Everyone knows that it is based on Romeo and Juliet. I like Shakespeare. Jeffrey’s film is one of my favorites and I had to aim at that level. The spark of inspiration for Ramleela was something I stumbled upon by chance. I had to go through a lot of paintings for my daughter because she wanted to paint. In doing so, I realized how beautiful they were. Paintings are magical, they inspired me and that is how I sat to work on how every scene should unfold in the film. The power of colour is mind-blowing and that’s why the Magic ofRamleela was so overwhelming.”
International Attention
Ravi Varman’s cinematography in Santham, a Malayalam movie brought him international appreciation. He received the best cinematographer award in France for the same. “DirectorJeyaraj called me for the project. I had to shoot in limited lighting. There were good cameras, good lenses, but no light. Here I learned the art of capturing light and not just using it.” Actor Kamal Hassan gave him a call to congratulate him on his success. “I learned that you can never make friends in the film industry. Only your work speaks for you. There was only one person who honestly supported me – Kamal Hassan. He spent three hours watching my film and then spent two hours introducing me to the world. He also recommended me for VettaiyaduVilayadu. And of course my wife, she has always been there for me,” he says gratefully.
