KGF cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda: I shot every scene with a 40-kg camera on my shoulder

After the release of the trailer and teasers of KGF, cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda has found himself in the spotlight. In Prashanth Neel's directorial, which stars Yash in the lead, the technician's work speaks for itself.

He's spent over two years working on the project, including over six months of almost living in smoke, dust, and fire. Ahead of the film's release on December 21, the photographer-turned-cameraman gives us a low-down of how he was able to capture the director's vision.

"Every shot of KGF was captured with a shoulder-held camera. It was a risk carrying the heavy camera on my shoulders, but that helped in getting some hazy shots, which were required for the film. There were times I used to run with the camera on my shoulders. During lengthy shots, I even developed wounds, but the pain was worth it," he says. 

"For the aerial shot, I used my own drone, which I operated myself," adds the cinematographer, who tells us director Prashanth was involved in every shot. "But at the same time, he had complete faith in my team. His confidence helped us give our best," says Bhuvan, who, incidentally, started his career as a cinematographer with the filmmaker in Ugramm. "Till then I was only a still photographer. Prashanth asked me to give it a try, and it clicked."

The backdrop of this period drama, set in the late 70s and 80s, has been mostly coloured with black and brown. "Both Prashanth and I don't like the use of too many colours. Red was meant to show blood, otherwise, the rest is mostly black."

A series of episodes were shot using dust as the backdrop. "We used compressors to raise dust to a height of 10 feet. Many shots were shot in one stretch. We would shoot up to seven days without getting tired. Our longest schedule lasted 11 days."

Bhuvan's job didn't end after the film's shoot. "I am involving myself with the film's release. As a cinematographer, I still have a lot to do for KGF," he signs off.