Don was a huge responsibility as well as a challenge: KM Bhaskaran

CHENNAI: Cinematographer KM Bhaskaran is being critically lauded for delivering Sivakarthikeyan’s Don as a visual treat to the audience. According to him the film was by several parameters, a challenging one. “We shot Don in the middle of the pandemic and we couldn’t hire artistes for college portions. So, we rented a college and requested that students from the college to be a part of our cast,” he begins.

Cinematographer KM Bhaskaran

Though director Cibi Chakaravarthi would have heaved a huge sigh of relief, it was the other way round for Bhaskaran. “They came from home and were wearing their own dress. Don is an emotional entertainer that didn’t require a lot of colours. Throughout the film, you would see only three colours that were dominating. So, we had to request the student to wear pastel-coloured costumes and not flashy ones,” says the DoP. Revealing interesting details, he adds, “There wasn’t a single scene that was shot under direct sunlight.

As all characters throughout the film have even shades, we need to show them in the same exposure and skin tone. So we had to cover the roof with a transparent clothing and let a decent amount of sunlight enter the sets. However, we went all out with songs as they have to be packed commercially and not let the audience tune out from the film.”

The song, Private Party from the film has huge fan base for Sivakarthikeyan’s dance and the way it was filmed. “It was planned aesthetically from the beginning. Private Party was one of the firsts for Sivakarthikeyan when it came to costumes and the sets. We went with neon lightings and different layers of colours like green, blue and red. The art direction team was on the same page as well,” says KMB.

After working in successful films like Kuttram 23, and Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadhithaal, Bhaskaran says that Don was also a huge responsibility. “Sivakarthikeyan is one among the top stars in Kollywood and working in his film comes with a lot of responsibility. Nothing can go wrong and we had several brainstorming session on getting things right,” the cinematographer remarks.

Talking about working in less than half a dozen films in eight years, he says with a smile, “I look for good stories, which is why I have worked in less number of films probably. The audience watches a film for the storyline and are happy only if the content is good. Technical side of a movie is secondary. So, a good story should excite me to deliver a visually aesthetic film,” he concludes.