For cinematographer Faiz Siddik, the most rewarding response to his work in Chinna Chinna Aasai has not come from critics or industry peers. It has come from ordinary viewers. "People who would normally never discuss cinematography came up and spoke about the visuals. Some even hugged me after screenings," he says. "They weren't reacting to technical choices. They were responding to the feeling of being transported to Varanasi. As a cinematographer, that's the greatest compliment I can receive."
Directed by debutant Varsha Vasudev and starring Indrans and Madhoo, the recently released film follows two lonely strangers who forge an unexpected bond over the course of a day and a night in Varanasi. While audiences have connected with its gentle exploration of companionship and ageing, many have also singled out its evocative portrayal of the ancient city.
Choosing the smaller film
For Faiz, that response carries special significance because Chinna Chinna Aasai arrived at a pivotal stage in his career. The Kannur native made his independent cinematography debut with Aanaparambile World Cup, though his first release was Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy's directorial debut Operation Java, which opened new doors for him.
He subsequently worked on big projects including the Mammootty-starrer Christopher and the JioHotstar series 1000 Babies. By the time Varsha approached him with Chinna Chinna Aasai, he was attached to a much bigger film. "At the time, I was working on a much bigger Tamil film with a strong backing. After 1000 Babies, I had also started receiving offers from Telugu cinema," Faiz says. "Chinna Chinna Aasai was a small film, and I knew the remuneration would be much lower, but the story completely drew me in. The first thing that attracted me was the chance to shoot in Varanasi. It is one of the most spiritually significant places in the world, and I felt it would be a huge challenge to capture that city through my own visual perspective."
Falling in love with Varanasi
His first visit to the city, however, left him far less inspired. "Honestly, I was disappointed," he recalls. "There had been flooding, and the city was extremely crowded. During the recce, we walked nearly 21 kilometres in a day exploring locations. When I returned to Kerala, I told Varsha that I wasn't sure how to approach it visually." The city, he says, seemed burdened by the pressures of mass tourism and poor waste management. He had arrived with a detailed lighting strategy, but quickly realised it would have to be reworked to suit the realities of the location.
Everything changed when the team returned for the shoot. "When we came back in October last year, the atmosphere was completely different. The weather was colder, calmer and more beautiful. I told Varsha that I didn't want to show rubbish anywhere in the film. I wanted audiences to see the beauty of Varanasi," Faiz says. The decision, he explains, was also a response to the way India is often represented onscreen. "In many international films, India is reduced to images of poverty, dirt and chaos. I wanted audiences to see a different side of Varanasi."
Yet the city only truly revealed itself to him after a solitary midnight walk along the Ganges. "For the first few days, I struggled to connect with the city," he admits. "Then one night I woke up at around 2 am and walked alone along the river. I spent hours talking to people, observing life and simply sitting by the water. By sunrise, I had reached the next day's location. That experience changed everything." What began as a spontaneous walk soon became a daily ritual. "I hardly slept during those 25 or 26 days because I completely fell in love with Varanasi," he reflects.
Mirroring the emotional journey
The emotional connection between the lead pair, he says, ultimately shaped the film's visual language. As Madhavan and Leela gradually grow closer, the frames evolve with them. "At the beginning of the story, the two characters are emotionally distant, so we rarely framed them together. We used wider compositions and separate frames to emphasise that distance," he explains. "As their relationship evolved, we gradually brought them closer within the frame."
Nothing, he stresses, was accidental. From framing choices to costume colours, every visual decision was designed to mirror the characters' emotional journey. One detail he remains particularly fond of is Leela's green saree with its red border. "The combination resembles a parrot, which is traditionally associated with green and red," he says. "We consciously incorporated the symbolism of a caged parrot into the character."
Trust, patience and natural light
Faiz credits much of the film's cohesion to Varsha's clarity despite it being her debut feature. "She trusted her collaborators and encouraged creative discussions," he says. The production, he recalls, operated with unusual simplicity. Cast and crew travelled together, shared the same challenges and largely did away with the comforts typically associated with film sets.
He is equally complimentary about Varsha's work with the actors. "Her greatest strength was her understanding of character," he says. "She knew exactly who Leela was and guided both Madhoo ma'am and Indrans sir into their characters with remarkable clarity." Shooting in Varanasi, however, was rarely straightforward. Crowds frequently wandered into emotional scenes, forcing multiple retakes. "What surprised me was the patience of the actors," he recounts. "They never complained. They gave us retake after retake despite the difficult conditions."
Faiz adds that nearly 90 per cent of the film was shot using available light, with only a handful of Astera tubes brought from Kerala. The goal, he says, was to preserve the city's natural atmosphere. The most demanding sequence came during a night-time boat shoot. "The water was freezing, and we had to be especially mindful of the comfort of Indrans sir and Madhoo ma'am. Everything had to be carefully planned. Despite the difficulties, the final jib shot came out exactly as I had imagined."
Looking ahead
For Faiz, the audience response has validated every challenge the film presented. "Before shooting began, I said this was the film for which I wanted a National Award," he says with a laugh. "It wasn't only about personal recognition. I wanted more people to discover Varanasi through this film. The city deserved to be seen in this way."
Looking back, Chinna Chinna Aasai occupies a unique place in Faiz's journey. For someone who discovered cinematography through a film school in Kollam after failing Class 12 and spent years shooting behind-the-scenes videos across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi productions, it became much more than another assignment.
With the film slowly finding its audience, Faiz is already looking ahead to the next phase of his career. "There are a few exciting projects lined up. Operation Cambodia, which is Tharun's sequel to Operation Java, and the second season of 1000 Babies are among them," he says.
