Ravi K. Chandran is still coming to terms with the frenzy of being a director. This interview, for instance, was to have happened weeks ago. Putting things into perspective, he says, “I have cancelled a vacation during this period. My family has given up trying to call me.” People from different departments — sound engineering, visual fx, and editing — have kept his phone engaged till the wee hours of each morning. “I have been going to sleep at 3 a.m. every day. Being a director of photography had its own challenges, but at least I could take it easy,” he says. He knows all about cinematography, having worked on films such as Minsara Kanavu , Dil Chahta Hai , Boys , and Black .
When he turned 50 a couple of years ago, he knew it was time he tried his hand at direction, a long-nurtured dream. Yaan ’s script was, after all, written as early as 2005. “Kamal was 45 when he directed Hey Ram , and he said it was quite late for him to get into direction at that age. I’m older, and my first film has just released.”
Writing isn’t new for him though, as he ran a magazine during his school days at Madhuranthakam. “The story of Yaan is inspired by a news item I read. When I first wrote it, it was perfect for a low-budget Malayalam film.” However, when he decided to scale up and make it in Hindi, he had to rewrite the script. “Abhishek Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor were some names to be considered. It was Aditya Chopra who suggested I make it in Tamil, as I was comfortable in the language,” says Ravi, who admits to translating words into Tamil in his head before communicating in English. “I grew up in a small town and didn’t even get to see a telephone until I stepped into college.”
He believes it’s quite natural for a cinematographer to become a director. “We have seen many editors make this transition. If editors who work in the background can do it, why not people like me who are always on the sets? What I am today is because of the directors I have worked with.”
In a way, turning director has enabled him to view a film as a whole, he says. “Earlier, I would always analyse a scene in terms of lighting, composition, focus or exposure. Now, I’m able to enjoy the film.” Does he watch a film as any average viewer would? “I’m very emotional. Any melodramatic scene can move me to tears. Even Rowdy Rathore made me cry,” he says.
When shooting for Yaan began in late 2012, Ravi found himself in new territory. It unnerved him to discover that all eyes were on him. “I almost asked why they were all looking at me. It was like they were waiting for me to shoot something extraordinary,” he says, adding it became a habit for him to start with small scenes before shooting the complicated ones. He also praises Thulasi Nair’s performance in the film. “Harris Jayaraj told me I shouldn’t have cast such a young girl, but after seeing the first copy, he admitted that nobody else could have been more apt for the role.”
Ravi calls Yaan a glossy romantic film in the league of 12B , Endrendrum Punnagai , and a few Gautham Menon films. “I don’t see too many of them being made. Yaan is one such,” he says. He says he chose the topic because of his familiarity with urban life. “I don’t think I can direct even one scene in Paruthiveeran or Aadukalam . I have lost touch with my rural upbringing.” He wraps up with a simile. “Being a director is like being Dhoni. You have to lead, keep wickets, bat, and sometimes even bowl.”
