A Glimpse into the life Voyage : Rajiv Menon

Glimpse into the life voyage of RAJIV MENON, the legendary cinematographer, focused producer, staunch director, experimenting actor and passionate educator
OF BRAWN AND MIGHT  BY ANISHA GAKHAR

continued from previous article ….Volume :2

CHENNAI AS HIS FORT

When asked about why he chose Chennai as his den, Menon explained, “My formative years were spent here. When the industry is well-established in a certain place, it leapfrogs when a group of talented people
come together. Here in Chennai, the likes of Mani Ratnam, Prabhu Deva, P.C. Sreeram and A.R. Rahman had already raised the bar up a notch. Another good thing in Chennai is that is not much influenced by Hindi
cinema. In fact it has always been a counter movement. Say, if Bollywood was doing marriages, music and dance; we were doing arty subjects and blood feuds.”
Chennai also proved to be a little cost effective for production, asserted Menon. “Unlike in mainstream Bollywood where one requires a good star cast and producer/ director to back a film, a very basic movie plot would earn a profit of around 8 crore in Tamil Nadu. Chennai is also culturally rich, which makes it a conducive environment to tell
stories,” said Menon.

LEADING THE PATH
Menon led us to his film institute Mindscreen Film Institute (MFi), post our photo shoot and interview.
It started as a school for cinematography in 2006, and branched out to include courses in screenplay writing, film-making, direction, photography and acting. It caters to many aspects of film-making, from the choices cinematographer confronts, to understanding the director and his script, how sound and music transform a scene, and assembling of images in the editing room.
The institute offers aspiring students from around the globe, personal training under the guidance of some of the best teachers in the business, including sessions taken by Menon himself. Many of Menon’s students have
worked in movies and web-series.

THEN AND NOW
According to Menon, in the black and white era, lighting as a concept was a confused subject, since people were struggling to introduce colour precisely. The light used to bounce into the ceiling and the colours were mostly flat. It called for a fine balance between the soft light and contrast, to make the film look realistic. Shooting indoors used to be a tedious task, given the low light. “Back then, getting a realistic image, whilst making sure it was visually arresting, was together of a story, building up continuity and using various amplifying factors to garnish and add value to the final outcome.

Menon’s office was flanked by still photography shots of ferocious tigers in the forest. The shots were as real as life. When asked about the same, Menon noted, “I find myself learning and evolving my skills every day. When I’m not shooting, I take out my jeep and still camera and go to the forests to capture nature. One touches the very core of cinematography when one is alone in the forest, without anyone at one’s beck and call, and purely looking through that lens!” exclaimed Menon. In a studio, when the cinematographer wants a tree, the crew arranges for a tree in frame. Everything is under the cinematographer’s command.
But when out in the wilderness, one gets to observe. “Cinematography is a bit of both – creating and observing. I think the observational aspect of cinematography has its origins in documentaries and photojournalism. For example, you’ve got to be academic enough to think about Varanasi’s history when going on a shoot to Varanasi,”
enlightened Menon.

Menon very meticulously explained that the backdrop of a city plays a key role in understanding the emotion of a place.The horizon, for instance, in Istanbul, would have domes and minarets, while that in India, would be trees and greenery.
The structural ideas of composition and the vision needed, is what every aspiring professional should imbibe. “Lot of people don’t read anymore. Because they do not read, they do not know how stories are made. You’ve got to be a story-teller, with a unique vision, style and team leading skills. The ability to tap into the best talent and associating with yourself with people better than you; are the qualities required to be a successful director. Having the knowledge about all possibilities like sound, effects, actors and developing syntax of one’s own is the need of the hour. There’s no recipe for success. Things that are relevant today might not be in trend tomorrow. The ability to keep pace with everchanging technologies and fads is especially essential in honing one’s skills. You have to know the difference between the colours – wine and purple,” explained Menon.

BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN, THERE’S A LOVING MOTHER
On being asked about his legendary journey, Menon coyly said, “When you ask me this, I feel like ‘Oh God, I have been here for quite some time,’ but I feel like I’m very fresh and always learning. I’ve been in the industry for quite some time, but I still need to figure out a few things. Even now, on the first day of shooting for any new film, I have butterflies in my stomach. The day one loses that excitement, inquisitiveness, competitiveness and winning streak, is the day one should stop shooting.” Just as he loves the sound of an old car engine revving up, which is barely heard
in modern times, he stresses on always being in touch with the rawness and essence of cinematography. “Just like there’s a charm in writing love letters, there is always something special about the basic conventional way of
doing things,” smiled Menon.
On asked about how he keeps so fit, so much that he could pass for a 35 year-old, he said he believes in walking and exercising. Another person who plays a pivotal role in his life, is his beloved mother, veteran singer Kalyani Menon. “I’m eternally grateful to my mother for not having emotionally blackmailed me into doing something I didn’t
want to. She’s a great friend, but besides that she is an optimist. She is 76 years old, recently had a fall and hurt herself. But she just finished singing for a new film set to release.
She was so excited about the fact that her song is trending and got 2 million views on Youtube! A woman who is 76, who can barely walk is looking forward to her next song. She always encourages me to do what I truly want to, and this kind of positivity has really rubbed off on me!” exclaimed Menon.
Like mother, like son!

Above article featured as Cover Story in DIGITAL STUDIO | NOVEMBER 2018

www.digitalstudioindia.com