Rifle Club: Aashiq Abu’s Genre-Bending Vision of Legacy, Revenge, and Cinematic Grit

Aashiq Abu, the celebrated new-wave director of modern Malayalam cinema, takes an audacious leap with Rifle Club—a film that fuses Western Spaghetti aesthetics with a deeply rooted Malayalam narrative. Set against the rugged terrain of a hillside Rifle Club, the film unravels a legacy of hunting, pride, and tradition, disrupted by an arms dealer’s personal vendetta.
In this exclusive conversation, Aashiq discusses his inspirations, the challenges of balancing direction and cinematography, and the deliberate technical choices that crafted Rifle Club’s striking visual language.

From a Nameboard to a Vision: The Birth of Rifle Club

The seed for Rifle Club was planted during the cinematography of Lovely (yet to be released). Aashiq recalls how a seemingly ordinary sight ignited a cinematic spark:
“While returning from my shoot daily, I’d pass by a signboard that read ‘Rifle Club.’ Something about it lingered in my mind. That’s when I knew—I had to make a film out of this world.”
Beyond conceptualizing the film, Aashiq was resolute in handling both direction and cinematography himself.
“I wanted absolute control over the visuals. This was a world that needed a distinct, lived-in aesthetic, and I knew exactly how to achieve it.”
Though Rifle Club marks his official debut as a cinematographer, his passion for cameras dates back to his assistant director days. Handling video cameras for continuity checks sparked an obsession, further nurtured by cinematographers like Shyju Khalid and Samir Tahir

Rifle Club -Aashiq Abu

The World of Rifle Club: Where Chaos Meets Emotion

Aashiq, along with screenwriters Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Karunakaran sought to balance raw intensity with eccentricity. The film isn’t just about gunfights—it’s about people and the emotions that bind them.
“We didn’t want it to be a mere action drama. The emotional connect between the protagonist and antagonist had to be strong. By bringing a family into this world, we could explore their quirks while keeping the drama rooted.”

Rifle Club -Aashiq Abu

Crafting a Timeless Look with Cooke Lenses, Varotal Zoom, and Sony Venice

To create a visual language that resonated with Rifle Club’s retro-modern blend, Aashiq made deliberate technical choices. His lens selection was particularly intriguing:
Cooke SP3 (full-frame primes) and S7i (high-end cinema primes) – for their signature warmth and organic rendering Cooke Varotal/i Zoom Lens – to balance dynamic movement and precise framing Sony Venice camera – for its dynamic range and naturalistic color rendition Custom LUTs for day/night sequences – to control tonal consistency Black Pro-Mist filters – to soften edges and enhance highlight roll-of

“The Cooke SP3 lenses were perfect for its compact design which enabled for dynamic compositions, especially in large ensemble shots. Their subtle softness and rich contrast enhanced the film’s vintage feel.”

However, Aashiq also integrated the Varotal/i Zoom Lens, which brought an unexpected layer of versatility.
“The Varotal Zoom was a game-changer. It allowed us to shift perspectives seamlessly without losing the warmth of Cooke’s glass. There’s a precision in its optical design that worked beautifully alongside the S7i primes.”
The lighting design, too, leaned into realism. Practical light sources dictated the mood—smoky interiors of the rifle club glowed under dim tungsten, punctuated by gunfire flashes.

“Gunfire smoke caught the light beautifully, adding depth to the frame. Cooke’s wide lenses captured the chaos while keeping things immersive.”