PremiumExclusive! Mohanlal has a vision of his own, he doesn’t imitate anyone: Santosh Sivan on Barroz
The acclaimed cinematographer is cranking the camera for Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz: The Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure
Last Updated: 02.26 PM, May 17, 2022
Cinematographer Santosh Sivan rarely dedicates almost a year for a film that he isn’t helming. But with Mohanlal’s Barroz: The Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure, Santosh along with other technicians including its director and lead actor Mohanlal are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the 3D children’s fantasy stands out and breaks new grounds in terms of visuals in Indian cinema.
The team, which resumed shooting for the film after the pandemic lockdown in December 2021, completed its Goa schedule last week. Santosh, who is now in Kochi for the promotions of his directorial Jack N’ Jill, in an exclusive chat with OTTplay tells us how Mohanlal is on the sets as a director and how his vision has helped shape the project, which is scripted by My Dear Kuttichathan director Jijo Punnoose.
“Mohanlal has a great visual sense,” Santosh says. “This was always apparent to me because long before we used to compete with each other through our photographs. During the pandemic lockdown too, when he was stranded at his house in Chennai, he would send me snaps and we would exchange notes. From those photos, it was evident that he had a vision of his own, he wasn’t imitating anyone.”
While handling a big project like Barroz especially as your debut directorial comes with its set of challenges, Santosh, who had previously worked with the superstar in films such as Yodha and Iruvar, says, “Mohanlal likes to do things his way and that will reflect when you watch Barroz. It’s a visual film that doesn’t have a conventional story. It’s got magical realism, 3D and is VFX heavy; that’s why it needs more time and effort.”
On the latest update about the big-budget film, Santosh says, “We have almost finished shooting the film. We have two more schedules in Portugal and Bangkok, where we will be shooting two songs.” Mohanlal, meanwhile, is awaiting the release of 12th Man, which will drop on Disney+ Hotstar on May 20.