When Light Becomes History:

Veteran cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran ISC, one of the true masters of Indian cinema and the first Indian Director of Photography to be nominated at Camerimage and later serve on its jury, continues to redefine visual storytelling with a rare blend of poetry, precision, and emotional intelligence.

In Sudha Kongara’s period political drama Parasakthi, he does not merely recreate an era — he resurrects its air, its light, and its moral weight.
“I was offered this project suddenly, at very short notice. When I heard the narration, the first thing I knew was — this film must be shot with pristine sharpness and a pollution-free look.”

A Period Film Without Dust:

At a time when period cinema often leans heavily on smoke, haze, and textured air, Ravi K. Chandran made a radical choice:

“That era had fewer vehicles and a much cleaner atmosphere. I didn’t want to use fog or smoke. I wanted the frames to feel pure, open, and honest.”

This decision defines the soul of Parasakthi. The teaser itself announced this visual purity and was widely celebrated for its clarity, grace, and confidence.

Cinema Must Breathe:

The team began shooting the feature with a song sequence — an unusual choice.

I felt this film should not be rushed. It needed perfect staging. I insisted on rehearsals and blocking before we shot. Every frame in Parasakthi feels composed, rehearsed, and lived-in, not hurried.

Movement That Floats, Not Follows

Camera movement in Parasakthi is constant — yet never loud.

“We used gimbals a lot, but I didn’t want it to feel like Steadicam. I wanted the camera to glide — like an extended dolly shot that can move in any direction.”
Across 45 locations, the film maintains a seamless visual flow — completed within schedule through careful design rather than haste.

Light Without a Visible Source

One of the film’s most distinctive achievements is its invisible lighting.

“I never tried to create shafts of light through windows. The lighting is very ambient — it’s hard to locate the source.”

Yet this is not guesswork:

“I always study the sun’s arc very carefully and recreate it with artificial sources.”
A key emotional sequence — the death of the protagonist’s brother during riots — was built around a poetic idea:

“We shot it for evening with the concept of the ‘Death of the Sun’.”

The Train Sequence: A Moving Painting

The opening train sequence has already been widely praised for its painterly quality.

“I wanted to keep the darkness of night intact and let the train light — especially the engine headlight — become the main source.”
The result is a sequence where darkness is not erased, but sculpted, and light does not decorate — it reveals. “That’s the flexibility and character of Cooke.” A Different Way of Seeing Faces and Spaces

Ravi K. Chandran’s lens philosophy in Parasakthi is deeply emotional:

 I often use wider lenses for close-ups — it brings you into the character’s personal space. And for wide shots, I sometimes go slightly towards the telephoto side — it compresses space and adds emotional weight. This creates a film where faces feel intimate and spaces feel dense with meaning.

Composition reinforces the drama subtly:

“I kept slightly lower angles for the protagonist and slightly higher-than-eye-level angles for the antagonist — very marginal, without making it dramatic.”

Craft Under Pressure

One of the film’s most discussed shots — a tight top-angle close-up of Atharva lying in muddy water, shot on a high-speed Phantom camera — came with serious technical challenges. “Avoiding the camera reflection was the biggest issue. I carefully positioned the camera and wrapped it in black plastic. High-speed cinematography always tests you.”

The Cooke Signature: Three Films, Three Worlds

Ravi K. Chandran has shot his last three films — Thug Life, OG, and Parasakthi — with Cooke lenses, each one visually unique.