Cinematographer Ravi Varman’s work has influenced films in more ways than one can imagine. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he was recently inducted into the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers — becoming only the second Indian to do so after filmmaker Santosh Sivan.

Having created iconic frames across both Hindi (Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela, 2013) and Tamil (Ponniyin Selvan: I, 2022) cinema, does Ravi agree with the buzz that south films have begun “overshadowing” Bollywood?

“It’s not like that,” Ravi tells us. He explains that the streaming space has blurred the lines between Hindi and regional films: “After OTT platforms, [showbiz] became the Indian film industry. So many films from the south are now released all over India and do so well. And Hindi cinema has always had a classic quality of filmmaking.”

Given that he’s worked across industries, what sort of film has been the toughest to work on? Ravi replies, “I can’t say. I never thought I’d get into films — it was accidental. For me, every film is equally important.”

The 51-year-old feels audiences should rethink the parameters of judging a film. “Films that won at the Oscars this year were well acted, but not all of them were superhits commercially. It’s the quality that matters,” he ends.