Cinematographer Sai Prakash’s CV doesn’t boast of great banners and films but once you look at it closely, you’d know that his collaborations with the youngest, contemporary and creative directors have produced commercial plus brainy content that would make anyone envious. In a chat with Y.Sunita Chowdhary of Klapboardpost.com, the very talented Sai Prakash tells us at the film school he learnt not just the art of making movies, but the economy of it too. He reflects on his career building collaboration with the directors of Bhanumati Ramakrishna, Krishna and His Leela and Maa Vintha Gadha Vinuma. His not so latest DJ Tillu stormed the industry as an underdog and came out as a massive winner. He is currently filming the sequel Tillu Square. Sai Prakash has been in the industry since 2009. From 2007 to 2009, he finished film school at Whistling Woods, after which he assisted DoP Sai Sreeram for Bumper Offer. That’s the only film he worked as an assistant cinematographer.
He says, ” I have been looking for work after that. The access has become easier, ever since it has become digital. Earlier there was only a set of people who got trained and understood the craft but later there has been a lot more opportunity for people to showcase their work. There are digital cameras, online schooling and earlier there were film schools but now we have the info online on digital cinematography. I shot quite a few films before but due recognition came with DJ Tllu. There was MS Narayana’s daughter Sashi Kiran’s Saheba Subramanyam which was her debut film as a director. I worked on Mosagallaku Mosagadu with Sudheer Babu. During Covid, I shot three films.”
The team is cohesive and the members are being repeated, how and why did that happen? He says, “There was camerderies between the group which got us together. All the directors like Vimal Krishna, Srikanth Nagoti etc pick the stories that you want to make and collaborate with like minded people..and that’s very important. How do the seniors get opportunities? He says, “It will take a long time but now I understand what it means to be there. I respect them for standing so long. Longevity isn’t easy. To handle work pressure, holding your ethic…it will definitely take a piece of you and you should be constantly at it. Be it a senior or newbie, if you are at the right place and at the right time, you will stand long and tall. Meanwhile the OTT platform is giving importance to how you create newer imagery. There are new directors coming along, they understand world cinema and value a new image. So with digital and OTT being all over, it isn’t hard to showcase your work.”
What is Sai Prakash’s forte? He says, “I liked the value Santosh Sivan brought to the frames but over time, I understood and progressed ; I believe in translating the scene and that is more important than lensing and lighting. .I think more about the idea and how it could be translated. How open and adventurous are you? I haven’t worked with a senior yet , the young bunch I worked with have always been innovative…they are game with it and they have a thorough discussion.” Does the DoP go by the director’s vision or break something that is cliched? He responds, “We can’t get fixated about this will work and that will work. The treatment comes organically. I believe in collaborating and what the director is thinking. I also believe in bringing better efforts and tools and won’t shy away from expressing it. I heard Bedurulanka years back. During the shoot of Mosagallaki Mosagadu, Clax was the associate director. Two or three years back, when the story was pitched, he found it whacky and new age. It is a satire on a society, in the times that we lived and times we are in.”
What is Beduru Lanka 2012 about? The story, Sai Prakash says is about Yugantham but it does have a huge relevance now. He apparently came onboard when the DP was already roped in. He had to balance his style and his aesthetics and the director gave him a free hand. He understood Sai Prakash’s sensibilities too. The DP adds, “We found a middle ground. I blended my art in it, once you see the film, you won’t differentiate this person did this and that person did that. From the bits and pieces you saw in the teaser, the deal was to make it look retro and not jarring and colorful. We shot a lot during the night. We were shooting with a lot of juniors who were local. Nothing per se was a problem we found during execution.”
Sai Prakash’s leaning towards art began in the tenth standard in school. He was into painting in school and college and then films fascinated him; he somehow wanted to get into the field. When he was in B.Tech, photography became the next best thing and after which he didn’t want to waste any time. Now the young man has created a space for himself and he upgrades his work constantly. He is a member of clubs, he subscribes to magazines, he takes online tutorials, attends workshops, watches films and reads their prep. Sai Prakash had to unlearn many things from school. That time, everything was on paper, storyboard, there was perfection etc. He says not all of them work like that and one begins to function on the move. But won’t this lead to cost overhead? He says, “When we think of a film, we have certain boundaries which will stop us from crossing a certain budget and look.”
Right now, Sai Prakash is invested in Tillu Square. He shares, “We shot about 20 or 30 percent. In a couple of months we should get done. It will be vibrant for sure like DJ Tillu. and we want to push the colours and keep it vibrant.”
