There’s already a considerable buzz surrounding Nitya Mehra’s Baar Baar Dekho, with the trailer attracting the viewers’ interest with its unique concept of time-travelling romance. One of the most appealing aspects of Baar Baar Dekho, ahead of its release, are the visuals. Well-known cinematographer Ravi K Chandran, says he was instantly impressed with Baar Baar Dekho.
“This is the first film I’m doing with Excel after Dil Chahta Hai. I missed out many films with Farhan in the middle due to other commitments. When I read the script, I was blown away. It’s a very new kind of script and I was intrigued by it and after speaking to Nitya, I came on board immediately,” shares Chandran. The film, which features Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif in the lead and has been shot entirely abroad.
“We shot in London and Glasgow but it’s not a foreign film. The film is deeply rooted in Indian culture. In fact, we did not shoot any landmark buildings in these cities for this film so that the Indian essence remains intact,” the cinematographer explains.
Chandran, who has previously worked in big-budget films like Ghajini and My Name is Khan, says the fact that Baar Baar Dekho happens in different eras of time, made it challenging.
“It happens in different time periods. We made a conscious effort not to change the overall look of the film. We dint want to change the cinematograophy too much in the various time eras. The shooting and styling has been very subtle,” he points out.
With films like Baahubali: The Beginning changing the face of visual effects in the country, Chandran feels cinematography has evolved, but requires hard work.
“Cinematography is an essential part of storytelling but it’s not the only thing. However, good cinematography has the ability to pull the audience to the theatres. Especially with films like Bajirao Mastani, where visual appeal is greater. to achieve perfection, one has to do thorough research and design looks that are different from other films,” expresses the 51-year-old.
The director of Photography (DOP) has received tremendous feedback for Baar Baar Dekho, mainly for the way he has shot the lead actors.
“Many people in the industry have come and said that Katrina never looked so beautiful. We shot very carefully so that she looks and real. Siddharth, of course, is a good looking actor. It was very easy to shoot him because any which way you shoot, he would look good. I worked with Siddharth in My Name is Khan, when he was an assistant director. It gives me great joy to see that he has now become a big hero,” he says, with pride.
Up next, Chandran will be doing a film with Dharma Productions, which will feature Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif in lead roles.
While the cinematographer has no plans to shift base from Mumbai, he’s not entirely averse to doing films down south.
“There is an offer for a Telugu film next year. I will meet with the producers and then decide how to move forward,” he adds.