Yatra: Sathyan Sooriyan

Yatra is a recent Telugu film, a  biographical representation of  YS Rajasekhar Reddy  fondly called as YSR and the most significant moment of his political career – the padayatra which changed the course of politics in Andhra Pradesh ,it’s an extraordinary story of one man’s vision and how it made him a messiah of sorts for the poor and underprivileged.

Cinematographer for Yatra  – Sathyan Sooriyan a fine Arts student assisted P C Sreeram for seven years in ten films. His cinematography was commendable right from his first film Yudham Sei and his previous Tamil film ”Theeran Adhigaram Ondru” had captivating visuals which received huge appreciation from all quarters.

Speaking to SICA  Sathyan informs that  he was well aware about  background of the story and the challenges would be to  bring the period which is only few years back with Nostalgic touch.

When he heard films narration his mind was filled with visuals of scorching sun and dry vast landscape, but when shooting happened every thing was different what he had in mind…especially the village locations had some green references and most important was climate was all overcast.

Sathyan  elaborates that his fine arts background helped him to bring the right color palette, while composing every frame he decided not to use any additional lights during outdoor sequences of Yaatra, he kept frames with Dominant whites, overall bathed with desaturated Amber/ tobacco.

YSR  through his Yatra touched the lives of suffering people, through visuals Sathyan tried to keep things very simple and also powerful, he decided not to bring grandeur instead concentrate on emotional impact  so Sathyan opted for  Jimmy jib, flycam and regular crane moves.

Sathyan says ”We headed the film with  large landscape shots. When we hold a shot past when you would expect a cut, it makes you go deeper into that moment. This film really strains to create a consciousness that does not tell the story as much as observe it. And these landscapes — very specifically in terms of the colors and the composition, and how they are held — they charge the atmosphere with a kind of consciousness and therefore a context with which to experience this story. [These shots] create a stillness, a soberness, as if nature is at work”.

Sathyan compliments Mammooty who held the film together with taking audience close to the soulfulness of YSR , as an actor he didnt try to imitate instead he followed his own instincts.

Coming to equipment part

Camera : ARRI ALEXA SXT

Lenses : Cooke S 5i primes / Arri Allura zoom

Yatra film is almost an outdoor film which has only few interior sequences  Sathyan  manages to give a break from the white, puts up retro things like cupboards, teak wood in sand colour in the interior.

Sathyan Sooriyan himself a traveler he adds “because traveling is an experience  It equips you with necessary lessons in life and sets you on the path where you experience life like never before.

SICA  wishes Sathyan Sooriyan and the crew of Yaatra for documenting the monumental part of Late Shri YS Rajasekhar Reddy LIFE that was a game changer in political era.

youtube link of trailer :

CJ Rajkumar

Author/Cinematographer