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.

Ace cinematographer Ravi Varman, who has films like Barfi!, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Jagga Jasoos and Ponniyin Selvan to his credit, has shot Lyca Productions’ Indian 2, which hits screens on July 12.

Talking about working with Shankar again after their 2005 blockbuster Anniyan, the cinematographer says, “With Shankar sir, he always defines the boundary. He’s very clear and writes what is needed. Within that boundary, I can play, and he will provide all the technology that I may want to recreate his vision, which is so original.”

After the director had narrated the story, the cinematographer says it felt like “our own version of a James Bond film”. “Like the recent Bond films, every scene was an event, with each one having a unique setting, like a place without gravity, a yacht, a gold palace and so on. We even have a unicycle chase,” he reveals.

The film also is his third one with Kamal Haasan. Explaining the challenge involved in shooting an actor wearing prosthetic makeup, he shares, “Real skin has some moisture and is reflective, but with prosthetics, you get an unnatural shine. It requires sensitive handling of lighting and lensing.”

Immediately said yes when Shankar sir narrated the film to me, because it was my dream to work with him,” shares National Award-winning actor Bobby Simha, who plays a key role in Indian 2.

The actor, who has been part of Jigarthanda, Salaar, 777 Charlie and Petta, among others, calls working with Kamal Haasan a learning experience. “When we slightly get stuck, he gives an idea to add a minute smile and that smile would go on to make a difference. I learnt from Kamal sir to work on such details,” he says.

For cinematographer Ravi Varman, it has been a year-long crash course in “being a light chaser“ on the sets of Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha. Shot in several picturesque locations in Corsica, Delhi, Mumbai and Shimla, the film features a few serendipitous scenes accentuated by beautiful natural light.

The most magical one was when the unit was filming in Corsica last year in July. Ranbir and Deepika had to shoot in the Calanques de Piana, in the gulf of Porto, popularly known as the red hills. Just when they were about to roll, a sudden burst of orange light exploded in the sky. “It was something we had never seen before or even imagined. Everyone fell silent while we reeled off six shots in five minutes before the light disappeared,“ Ravi reminisces.

Then, there was a sequence with Ranbir in which the actor in his “storyteller avatar“ had to run through the streets of Shimla. “There was a clap of thunder, followed by rain and snow. Within two minutes, everything was covered in snow but Ranbir continued to run,“ Ravi marvels.

The cinematographer had started out intending to outdo Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris, the most beautifully shot romance-fantasy. “And we have,“ he asserts. “Every shot is like a painting, in particular the ones in which Ranbir and Deepika dive into lakes, cross roads with suitcases in hand, live in a French home with low ceilings, the golden light bouncing off the walls and shining on their faces,“ says Ravi, who bagged the prestigious EME France Film Festival Best Cinematographer Award for his 2000-film Santham Malayalam.

The cinematographer who has earlier worked with Ranbir in Barfi! says he reminds him of Kamal Haasan who gets into character completely. “In some shots, he also reminded me of Al Pacino because of his restrained acting.“

The Delhi schedule was shot in tech savvy areas of the capital. “An extremely expensive residence was rented and we made sure there was no damage to the interiors,“ he remembers, adding that the second most expensive set was a grand theatre built in Mumbai's Film City.

Ravi, who has grown up on a steady diet of French filmmaker Roman Polanski's films, says that he drew inspiration from the auteur's style of combining fantasy and art when he envisioned filming inside the magnificent theatre set that was erected in Mumbai.

Having worked in 28 films in his 14-year career, Ravi believes the chemistry the lead pair brings to screen is unparalleled. “I would sometimes get so carried away watching them that I'd forget I had to wield the camera. Their body language, when they're together is fascinating. Their timing is spot on and yet so natural. They are equally brilliant when they are restrained,“ he says, awe-struck.

Ravi, who has worked with Deepika earlier in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela believes the actress has evolved in the last two years. “She gradually transported herself into the world of Tamasha. She is nothing like the Deepika I saw on the first day of the Ram-Leela shoot. For me too this film has been a soul-searching experience. Deep down, I guess we were all just hoping to find ourselves through the course of this journey,“ the cinematographer concludes.