making a film within a film kanthaProduced by Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati, is a story in itself. The cameras and lights seen on 1950s film sets belong to that era, sourced and restored to look as new as they would have been at their peak. Cinematographer Dani Sanchez Lopez revealed that Rana’s father, producer Sureshbabu, who heads Ramanaidu Studios, contacted several studios and old theaters across India to obtain equipment.
Speaking from his home in Madrid, Spain, after completing a romantic thriller shot in the Canary Islands, Dani says, “He was particular about making sure we got what was relevant to the period. The lights were painted, restored and we used them to illuminate the scenes in the film.” Dani is now writing a script which he hopes to direct soon.
kantha Dani was introduced in July 2023 and knew it would be compared to her work greatnessBecause both films take the audience to the film studios of the past.
Dani Sanchez Lopez | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
primary difference between greatness, Biopic of the late actorSavitri, and kanthaA fictional story of ego clash between a superstar (Dulquer as TK Mahalingam) and his guru (as Samuthirakani) Ayya), “‘Perspectivism lies in power,'” explains Dani. greatnessMovies of the past emerged to refresh the memories of Savitri GaruHere, the perspective changes when we understand the story through its characters, How do we decide who is the hero?”
When Dani read director Selvamani Selvaraj’s initial script, she remembers asking, “Is Rana playing Ayya? Isn’t he too young?” He was caught in a clash of egos and was curious to see where it was headed. “Much later I came to know about the character of Phoenix – Rana.”
While Dani used color and black and white to differentiate time periods greatness Also, he contacted kantha Like “a puzzle that needs to be solved.”
The initial idea was to shoot kantha Completely in black and white. Later, Dani and Selva decided to use color and black and white. “We decided to use them in different ways. For example, Kumari (Bhagyashree Borse) first remains devoted to her guru’s words and later she sees TKM’s perspective. Selva wanted that transition to be portrayed with softness, which we achieved in color with a soft focus for the present parts.”
four volumes
Visual design and storyboarding were followed by a long period of discussion. “Selva wanted kantha To be realistic. We divided the film into four segments and decided to use color for the present – the 1950s, black and white for the film within the film, another kind of black and white for the 1940s flashbacks, and a different palette for the retellings during the crime investigation in the later parts.
There was a challenge. Dani explains, “There is a big difference between cinema in India and elsewhere. I prefer to read scripts rather than narrations; the latter is common in India, while scripts continue to evolve.” However, with a visual structure in place, the cinematography, direction, costume and production design departments got to work.
Unreal b&w for flashbacks; Hard b&w for the present | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For the parts filmed in colour, a vintage palette was chosen, with references to paintings by Raja Vavi Varma, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and other paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite era. References also came from Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish film, broken embrace,
Within the film, Dani chose black and white with a 4:3 aspect ratio. “Between the old lights and cameras, we also had equipment that used Maya BazaarThe placement of lights was all according to the film being shot inside the film, We used dolls to recreate a 1950s approach to cinema, We illuminated the film using old lights, which were much warmer than today’s lights, To get the skin tone of that era on screen, we had to move those lights closer to Dulquer and over-expose by two or three stops, In olden times, film sets used to get hot because of those lights,”
Dani says that in the 1950s, Kodak’s new black and white Tri-X motion picture stocks were available in the US. “For the film within the film, we envisioned Ayya Martin (producer, played by Ravindra Vijay) to ensure that it was available for the film. Additionally, the team attempted to achieve a similar look to the cinematography of that era with the characteristics of Tri-X.
To plan the palette for color and black-and-white portions (to achieve the necessary contrast and brightness), Dani contacted colorist Glen Castinho, who had previously worked with him. great festival And a Spanish film. Glenn contacted people he knew at Kodak to replicate the look of images captured using that Tri-X stock. “Hundreds of scans were purchased from different films and from the data, we prepared a Cantha’s The film within the film.
capturing a dream
As far as flashbacks to the 1940s go, black and white were different. “We kept the 2.39:1 aspect ratio (CinemaScope), and filmed the flashbacks just as we would have captured the dreams, if we could.” The dreamlike visual textures were inspired by surrealism in early 20th century cinema.
Dani Sanchez Lopez with Nishant Katari, additional cinematography credits | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
investigative thriller for parts, perspectivism and Rashomon-Effect came into practice. “We also took inspiration from Hitchcock’s works to design the mood. Some of the lighting is abstract as it involves different people describing events from their observations and memory.”
Dani says that when Phoenix is in the frame the focus is sharper and the camera movements reflect his perspective. “We also looked at how each character would describe events. For example, Babu (the assistant director) would move rapidly from one detail to the next, while the make-up man would closely observe the details. Perspectives would also come from characters talking to each other or watching events unfold through a door.” dani adds it citizen Kane and S. Balachander’s Tamil film, blind cordThere were also references to the play of light and shadow.
Part of the investigation focused on how a film set would be lit only when a film was being shot. Dark and blue colors are prevalent in some areas, as light streams in from the exterior, and is kept to a minimum.
Beyond the play of colors or black and white, Dani revealed that planning involved placing mirrors at strategic points and planning point-of-view shots to show how the characters of Dulquer, Samuthirakani and Bhagyashree are introduced. “It’s a film about ego, acting, smoking mirrors, hiding your true self and finding your identity. We paid attention to how we use mirrors to interact – whether it’s on a film set when the journalist comes, or in the make-up room.”
kantha When it was being filmed, curiosity increased in the film fraternity. Dani was surprised to learn that Sanjay Leela Bhansali had appreciated some of the early scenes. “He is one of the most visual filmmakers in the world. I love the imagery of his films, they stay with you for a lifetime.”
He has also received a warm response from cinematographers Ravi K Chandran, Ravi Varman and others. What surprised Dani most is that audience members have been writing to her, wanting to know how she filmed certain scenes, and posting discussions on Reddit. “It’s fascinating that they take the time to discuss me or write to me. Soon, I will answer their questions.”