Cinematographer Rathnavelu has spoken about his long-standing creative collaboration with filmmaker Sukumar, highlighting the director’s emphasis on visual storytelling and cinematic detailing.

Peddi cinematographer Rathnavelu says working with Sukumar allows greater visual expression, ahead of trailer launch in Bhopal

Rathnavelu, who previously worked with Sukumar on films including Rangasthalam, recently discussed his approach to cinematography while talking about his work on Peddi. According to him, he prefers to communicate emotions and social realities through framing and visuals instead of relying entirely on dialogue.

Explaining his process, Rathnavelu shared, “Only one shot of straight hard light falling on his back to reveal his community. I don’t want to emphasize, but I thought that is also a point because it’s written in the story. Even when he was with Jagapathi Babu, untouchability is there. So instead of putting the camera on the face or to go the mid shot, the camera will follow the glass or pot or whatever. There is kind of we need to, as a cinematographer, I try to tell a story from a story point of view.”

Talking about his collaboration with Sukumar, the cinematographer said the filmmaker’s storytelling style creates more room for visual expression. Rathnavelu said, “With Sukumar, I have that big advantage because he also tries to emphasize visually. There are a lot of 90% directors who try to say everything in dialogue. That is where cinematographers, especially Indian cinematographers, don’t have the scope to deliver some extra visuals, that’s what I feel. Within so many dialogues, a cinematographer has to make the film look good, convey the tone, and convey the mood. It’s a very tricky thing, actually, I feel, especially South Indian cinema. The dialogue is so big.”

The filmmaker is also set to reunite with Ram Charan after their earlier collaboration on Rangasthalam, which remains one of the notable successes in Telugu cinema.

Meanwhile, anticipation continues around Sukumar’s upcoming projects, including Pushpa 3: The Rampage, which has already generated considerable interest among audiences following the popularity of the earlier installments.

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