Renowned cinematographer PC Sreeram had an eventful 2014 as he worked to finish three major projects: I, Shamitabh, and OK Kanmani, films which he considers to be the “most important ones of his life.” Sreeram opened up to Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan about the movies and the year that was.
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- Sreeram stopped accepting movie offers after his daughter’s untimely death four years ago. When Shankar began working on I, he approached Sreeram and asked him if he would be willing to be his cinematographer on the project. Sreeram, who was still in mourning, agreed reluctantly. The rest is Istory.
- Working on multiple films back-to-back helped him overcome his grief.
- Mani Ratnam and Sreeram last worked together on Alaipayuthey. After a 14 year hiatus, the duo join hands in OK Kanmani. Sreeram revealed that “OK Kanmani is like ‘Alaipayuthey part 2′. But it is not a sequel. The film will be as cute as Alaipayuthey.” He added that Alaipayuthey was based on the life of the daughter of a friend of Mani Ratnam, and that OK Kanmani is also inspired from a real life incident.
- I, Sreeram said, will pay tribute to body builders from North Madras. Lingesan, one of the roles played by Vikram, is a bodybuilder who hails from North Madras. “Body building is a cult there. They make an immense effort to build their bodies.”
- The prosthetic makeup that Vikram wore in I was similar to what Amitabh Bachchan used in Paa. Filming prosthetic makeup in the dark is a challenge, says Sreeram. And Shankar thought that Sreeram’s experience working in Paa might be valuable for I.
- I is about a chain of events that ruin a man’s life and push him into a dark abyss. So Sreeram employed what he calls the ‘Light and Shadow’ style of cinematography for the film.
- “I started to like Dhanush after Aadukalam,” said Sreeram, who works with the star in Shamitabh. “He has changed a lot since then. We were shooting in a hamlet near Nasik and the boys there, started singing Why this Kolaveri…, when they saw Dhanush. Bollywood loves Dhanush after his performance in Raanjhanaa.”
- When asked to choose his favourite movie, Sreeram quipped, “The next film will be my favourite.” He added that he doesn’t believe in being called a “senior cinematographer” in the industry. “The phrase, ‘Idhuvarai nadandhadhu ellaam munnurai; ini nadakkappovathu thaan ennurai‘ portrays my state of mind. I should always be ready to do better.”