Vineeth: KV Anand created poetry on the silver screen

Actor Vineeth, who worked with KV Anand in Kadhal Desam (1996), expressed his shock and grief over the untimely demise of the cinematographer-director. Incidentally, Kadhal Desam marked KV Anand’s first Tamil film as a cinematographer. 

“The news of his demise is too much to take in. I’m shell-shocked. He was young. And, of course, a fantastic craftsman,” says Vineeth

“I remember simultaneously shooting for the Telugu film Priyuralu and Kadhal Desam. The Telugu film was shot by Thiru sir while KV Anand sir shot Kadhal Desam. Interestingly, both of them were products of the PC Sreeram’s school of cinematography, shares Vineeth. “Kadhal Desam was a trendsetter for cinematography and music.”

Reminiscing his experience with KV Anand through the shoot of Kadhal Desam, Vineeth adds, “He was one of the rare cinematographers who had the ability to mould actors as well. He’d offer suggestions to me and Abbas. More importantly, he had a terrific sense of humour. Although he looked reserved, he was the kind of guy who often pulls your leg.”

Talking of the cinematographer’s knack for creating perfect frames, Vineeth shares, “Back in the day, we were shooting on celluloid, which came with its set of limitations related to lighting. Despite those technical restraints, he created poetry on the silver screen. He shot an entire sequence in the magic hour - early in the morning just before sunrise - to capture the purplish natural light on celluloid.”

Sharing the story behind the film's beach sequence, Vineeth says, “We shot Karthik’s illusion sequence for nearly 10 days. We’d assemble at the beach at around four in the morning and shoot till sunrise at six. If you see the visual, it’s magical. Director Kathir and Anand sir were very particular about it. There was a lot of effort put in by these masters to perfect each frame”

Vineeth adds that a major portion of the song O Vennila was shot during the magic hours for over 10 days. “That's the level of dedication and commitment these people had. Anand sir’s work reflects that magic. I feel fortunate to have worked with him.”

Speaking of how his relationship with the filmmaker evolved after the film, Vineeth says “He grew to a different level altogether as a technician, and thanks to our field of work, whenever we’d run into each other, it felt like we shot for Kadhal Desam yesterday.”

Like many of his colleagues and fans, Vineeth, too, finds it painful to digest the fact that KV Anand is no more. “At a time when entire humanity is going through a dark phase, the news of near and dear ones leaving us feels terrible. It’s hard to comprehend in words. It’s an irreplaceable loss for Indian cinema,” signs off Vineeth.