Bramayugam cinematographer Shehnad Jalal lauds the film’s art direction team; here’s why

Shehnad Jalal has worked in documentaries, such as Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, which is streaming on Netflix.

Shehnad Jalal

Bramayugam's cinematographer, Shehnad Jalal, explained in an interview with The Cue that the Jothish Shankar-led art direction team deserves praise for their efforts on the mystery horror drama. He continued by saying that their work gave the movie the impact it needed to transport viewers to a different reality.

The group put a lot of effort into changing the mana to the one that is seen in the film. "The location we checked out before filming was not the same place we went. All the required adjustments had been made to enhance the aura," he said.

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The Kerala State Awardee said he has followed the director's plans to present the movie in black and white. He called the experience intriguing because it presented difficulties in maintaining the same contrast level and dealing with lighting differences. Shehnad mentioned that filming nights in black and white was another challenge.

"Creating the necessary emotions and visual impact on screen was the primary focus," he continued. The cinematographer said that Mammootty's outstanding performance is captured magically when the camera starts to roll.

Shehnad said he has been lucky enough to see firsthand how the actors become the characters they play on screen. He continued by saying that even though the movie starts in an open setting, it eventually moves into an enclosed space.

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"Everything on the set was made for us based on the discussions the team had. Only minor adjustments based on the needs of each scene may have been made during filming, he claimed.

The director of photography added that it is his responsibility to convey the director's vision as clearly as possible, and that this is best accomplished when he is aware of the director's point of view.

Shehnad Jalal’s 19th project

Shehnad Jalal bagged the Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography for his debut film Chitrasutram in 2010. He has also worked in documentaries, such as Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, which is streaming on Netflix.

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