Torrential rain, dark nights without electricity, impromptu camera settings, not to forget the hazards of electric shock with one particular incident even endangering the life of none other but Tamil star Rajnikanth: just some of the rigours of working in Lingaa, revealed director of photography R. Rathnavelu.
“It was one chaotic journey,” says Randy, as he is better known.
This is his second film with Rajnikanth and the fan in him added, “After working with him in Enthiran, I was eager to portray him on screen in a more stylish look than ever.”
That was easier said than done, something he realised arriving on set. Having worked earlier with directors who planned the look of a scene, the light settings and camera frames well in advance, here was a director who followed a different approach.
“Ravikumar is very organised with respect to his screenplay and had a clear vision of the story, but with regard to the look and lighting, he decided only on the spot,” recalled Randy who won his second Filmfare award for Enthiran, his first being for Nandha, in 2001.
“I am used to prior discussions on colour tones and light settings so as to enhance the look of the actors.”
For the pre-independence era, Randy went for visually vibrant tones deviating from the usual black and white, desaturated looks or sepia.
As the film got rolling, Randy soon got used to Ravikumar’s ways and even enjoyed the spontaneous shots that threw magical surprises.
“Like the scene, where Lingeshwaran walks across the bridge after being told to leave the dam,” Randy said.
“That is an emotional scene and carries a background music reflecting the mood. Even the weather was overcast that day. A disappointed Lingeshwaran is walking on the bridge. Suddenly the skies opened up and a ray of light shone brightly on Lingeshwaran’s head. It appeared like a halo. That was such a divine moment.”
Hollywood’s Lee Whitaker has choreographed the stunt scenes. “Lingeshwaran’s action sequences involved fist fights or using wooden logs. Despite conveying an old feel, the sequences are stylish,” Randy said.
The introductory song of Indiane Vaa, was shot in Macau on a grand set and also at Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World.
Heavy downpour put a spoke into Lingaa’s wheels during the first scheduled shoot in Shimoga, Karnataka, near the site of the Lingamakki Dam.
“Out of 31 days, it rained continuously for 17 days. We had a tough time managing a cast and crew of around 2,000 people,” he says.
Permission to shoot the film near the dam had been procured with great difficulty. Close-up shots were taken using plastic sheets as covers.
The constant rain affected the power supply and hampered night shoots.
“We had assembled below the dam and the level of water was rising in the rains. Suddenly there was no power, so we brought in helium lighting balloons.” With Lingaa’s release scheduled on Rajnikanth’s birthday, the pressure on the team was high and they worked at breakneck speed.
Some portions of Lingaa, were shot in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad where set designer Sabu Cyril had created a train.
An unfortunate incident marred the smooth flow of things when a technician, Jawahar, who was manning the crane carrying a camera, suffered an electric shock and was thrown out of his seat.
As Jawahar got up off the ground he saw the crane moving towards Rajnikanth.
“Risking his own life, Jawahar ran and pushed the crane out of the way of the legendary actor,” Randy said.
Lingaa is a story that spans two eras. Rajnikanth plays dual roles: that of Lingeshwaran, who lived in the 1930s, and Lingaa, his descendant, who lives in the present age. Bollywood’s Sonakshi Sinha plays Lingeshwaran’s love interest and Telugu actress, Anushka Shetty, romances Lingaa.
“The story is pivoted around a dam and as Lingeshwaran, Rajni sir is fantastic,” Randy said. “The way he has transformed himself lends a patriotic feel to the role. It is a beautiful story with a positive message.”
Lingaa is produced by Rockline Venkatesh. A.R. Rahman has done the music and sung Indiane Vaa, from the album. Other members of the cast are Radha Ravi and Vijay Kumar who appear in Lingeshwaram’s life. Santhanam plays Lingaa’s buddy. Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu plays a Minister and is the antagonist.
