Rajinikanth ‘is a phenomenon’

Express News Service
Saturday July 26 2008
Sharadha Narayanan

TECHNICALLY speaking, the cinematographer is the first person to see a movie in the angle it is meant to be shown to the audience. And if that first viewer of the movie happens to be a big fan of the actor he’s capturing, the Superstar in this case, imagine the glee that will be in the eyes of that cinematographer. But to be honest, there’s no such glee in cinematographer Arvind Krishna, despite him being a self proclaimed Rajini fan. (Nobody escapes Rajini-ism in their childhood, he says, matter-of-factly).

If there’s anything to show that he worked for 'Kuselan', it’s a slight limp of an injured right leg, one that he hurt in the last lap of shooting for the movie, shot as a bilingual in a remarkable three months. Shooting has been tiresome, no doubt, and post-production work kept him busy till the moment I met him, in Prasad Lab, on Wednesday evening. "'Kuselan' has been a fun riot, my sixth movie actually," he explains.

He was introduced as an actor (The Danush of Operation Danush in 'Kurudhipunal') and is now working on a movie in which a song is said to honour the work of technicians ('Cinema Cinema').

Ask him about when he appears in the movie (All technicians, including Soundarya Rajinikanth who has done the special effects, will be present in the movie) and he responds, “I can assure you that I’m the only technician of the movie who didn’t do a cameo.

And that’s for no particular reason. I was just bust shooting and couldn’t face the camera at all,” he brushes it off.

The movie, the cinematographer believes, will show Pollachi, a favourite location of our filmmakers, in an altogether new, happy light. Following this, Arvind Krishna’s next is 'Poi Solla Porom', directed by Vijay and is slated for an August release. As someone who has worked with Kollywood’s youngest directors, from Selvaraghavan (7/G Rainbow Colony, Pudupettai, Kadhal Kondein) to Gautam Menon ('Pachaikili Muthucharam') and Vijay, Arvind doesn’t see P Vasu as a director of the older generation.

“It’s rare for a director to know so much about the technical side of things. And credit goes to him for finishing work on time because he is one director who exactly knows what he wants even before shoot for a scene begins.”

If it’s laurels for P Vasu, what Arvind says about the Superstar sparks of pure adulation. “Oh, Mr Rajini is a phenomenon. He moved me with his actor role in the movie. He’s always punctual, jovial on the sets, very interactive and a fantastic actor,” he explains.

“There was this assistant director who Rajini sir used to make fun of on the sets. It was in good humour but the assistant even tried hiding his face once when the Superstar appeared on the sets. Yet, Rajini spotted him and it was such fun on the sets with the duo. Sir is a phenomenon, as a hero, as an actor and as a person,” he recalls.

And the clearly bowled-over cinematographer does have good things to say about Rajini’s on-screen role in the movie too. “It’s a classic Rajini you will see, one in the glory of his vintage days. Trust me when I say this will be one of the best movies ever,” he adds.

To any of the many Rajini fans, to see the Superstar, at close quarters in his element, a leg injury will only seem a small price to pay.