A scene from Ajagajantharam opens with an enraged young man waiting to smash the front glass panel of a lorry with a rock. We are familiar with the actor. He’s from Unda. Cut to the scene - the trail of shattered glass pieces inch towards the lens, and behind it is Arjun Kallingal capturing the motion in still photographs.
Although he was advised to not take such a risky shot, the still photographer recalled his assistant Sajan rooting for him, "Chetta, we’ll meet our fate when it arrives."
To stand out in the field in a time where an increasing number of people know how to operate a DSLR camera and are familiar with concepts like the Rule of Thirds, for instance, a photographer needs to go the extra mile to make art. Something that Kallingal, who worked as the still photographer for films like Jallikattu and Ee Ma Yau, has been doing since his first film - Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Angamaly Diaries.
In a conversation with The New Indian Express, Kallingal says that capturing the action in scenes is his forte, and that working in more than four Lijo Jose Pellissery directorials has meant learning one lesson after another.
How did you land your first project with Lijo Jose Pellissery?
It was quite unexpected how I got roped into Angamaly Diaries. One day, my mentor, Roshan (Cinema industry professional), who knew I wanted to work in cinema, asked me to go to Angamaly to become a still assistant, and to do a ‘making video’ for the LJP film.
I had actually never made any video before this, but I grabbed the opportunity, which eventually turned out to be a turning point in my life. Lijo chettan liked the making video, and he called me again for his next.
Another making video of Kallingal from 'Angamaly Diaries':
Next, I shot the audition tapes for LJP’s Ee Ma Yau, and Tinu Paappachan, the director of Swathanthriyam Ardharaathriyil, recommended me for the still photographer position in the movie.
You were a wedding photographer first. So, how was the transition?
Wedding photography, as interesting as it is, is quite restricting because there’s only so much in a love story you can tell.
Meanwhile, in cinema, every shot has a story to tell.
We are trying to combine multiple scenes in a single photo. So it’s exciting to make a photo that will convey different stories of different characters. These opportunities are rare -- you won’t be able to capture these situations in real life. I aspire to become a cinematographer eventually, so all these experiences on set and interactions with veterans are huge learning steps.
Can you describe your work process once you get onboard a project?
a. Reading the script – to understand the genre, to find out what elements I can play with, and the different scenes. This helps me prepare for the kind of shots I want to take, and where (shoot location) you can take them.
b. Reach the location of the shoot – Not every movie will be shot according to the script. I usually come to the sets daily and find out which scene is being taken that day. I just try to be on my toes.
c. Participate when the director and the director of photography (DoP) are discussing shots, angles, and where the camera will be placed — This helps me decide on which angle and spot I want to photograph from.
d. Pay attention during talks between the director and actor – When the director is instructing the actor on what to do with respect to emotions or the importance of a scene, I’m listening. This helps me much later when I’m sorting and selecting photos.
e. Sorting photos – I select ten to fifteen photographs from a day’s work and send it to the director. I sort and choose based on the mental notes I took down earlier from the actor-director conversations.
f. Grading – I add a base grading to the photos to match the tone of the film and send it to the director so he can pick up where the scenes were left off the previous day. They will look like snapshots of all the action that has happened until then.
I try my best to avoid the camera angles chosen by the director and the DoP. I do my own framing of the scenes from maybe closer to the subject or farther away.. So that’s a freedom I enjoy.
A minimum of 400-500 photos is sent to the director for a single film. It’s essentially his film but from a different point of view.
So, you’re on the sets when the camera rolls?
Yes. You could say that. I mainly try to bring my photos alive. I believe you’ll get the best promotional photographs when you’re on the sets, and the actors are putting on their best show. In that moment, you’re not capturing an actor who’s posing, it’s a character. And the authenticity of that shot will be unmatched if I try to stop a scene just to take photos.
If not candid, you might jeopardize the rawness of the photo. If people are aware, you might get something too perfect, and life is never too perfect.
Another advantage is that scenes will usually have three or four takes -- which means I can use all the lenses I have -- to experiment with the angles and framing. Finally, I end up with five to six photos of the same scene from different angles.
What is in your toolkit?
Camera body: Canon 1Dx Mark 2 with mechanical shutter.
Lens: Block lens – 16 - 35 mm, f/2.8; Sigma 35 mm, f/1.4; Canon 50 mm, Canon 135 mm.
I use mostly block lenses. It is difficult to use because of the focal length —you would have to stay put in a particular place at a particular angle, unlike the zoom lens.
But the quality of the photographs from the block lens, the life in them, and the depth of field is unmatchable.
I’ve used Sony, but I never got the life or depth that I get from Canon.
Editing software: I use lightroom only to control the light in the photo, mostly grading, nothing more.
What is your advice for beginners who want to venture into the industry?
Do directors look for any specific kind of photographers?
Every photographer has a pattern. I generally do action films, so I get a lot of enquiries for those films. Directors will look out for you based on the pattern of work you do.
How well does the industry pay?
Our industry is small, it can’t be compared to even Tollywood, let alone Bollywood. All I know is that, after talking to my mentors, I can now say we are doing much better than them. I think us still photographers have come a long way from taking photographs for continuity to taking photographs for promotional material.
How much editing/retouching do you do?
I’m not against editing a picture as and when it is needed. I see it like serving good food -- like when you try to make the food look more appealing. Sometimes I do it to match the tone of the film.
Do you feel pressure working on such big projects?
Of course. When I wait for new projects or when I wait for the directors’ responses after I send them the photographs, I have inhibitions about whether they will like it or not because you can’t exactly retake these photos, right?
The working hours sometimes are long. For Ajagajantharam, it was 6 in the evening to 6 in the morning for 45 days, so there’s some stress on your body as well.
I always get the jitters on the first day of work, but after that, it’s just excitement.
How was your experience working on the upcoming Churuli?
It was exhilarating, because it was my first time working with senior cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan Sir.
Also, every movie with Lijo chettan is a miracle for me. It’s his otherworldly thinking that I like.
I learnt low-light photography after working on LJP’s Jallikattu, which was mostly shot in a low-light environment. All the photos I’ve shot working on his sets are like my accolades.
Arjun Kallingal's upcoming movies other than Ajagajantharam include Veyil directed by debutant Sarath Menon, starring Shane Nigam and Shine Tom Chacko, and some newcomers.