BOMBAY TIMES (March 22, 2016)
Although hero-heroine jodis and director-actor combinations are often talked about in Hindi cinema, filmmaker-cinematographer teams play an equally significant part. One such association is that of director R Balki and Chennai-based DOP (director of photography) P C Sreeram. Both began their Bollywood innings together, with Cheeni Kum (2007) followed by Paa (2009) and Shamitabh (2015). All set for their fourth collaboration, Ki & Ka, which has generated curiosity for its novel subject of gender role reversal, Sreeram says that content is more important to him than the film's language.
Explaining the rapport that he shares with Balki, the National Award-winning cinematographer states, “He mesmerises me with unknown concepts. I wait for such scripts that take me into unexplored territories.“ The DOP, who has worked with directors like Mani Ratnam and Shankar down South, adds that he is impressed with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Kapoor's performances in Ki & Ka. He elaborates, “Kareena is a big star and a fabulous actress to work with. But I'm amazed with the way Arjun played a house husband. While it's normal for a man to display masculinity in such a role, he was in control of his performance.“
Keeping in sync with the film's subject, Sreeram shot like an observer to portray the nuances of the couple's relationship. “Since the majority of the movie is between two characters, the cinematography has to be candid. That brings out the beauty of the story and enhances the narrative,“ he says.
He is optimistic that the subject will connect with viewers and they will love the lead pair's performances. “After this film, a lot of men will love to be house husbands. Nothing wrong with that as the world is changing for the better,“ he concludes.
Ki & Ka, presented by Eros International and Hope Productions, releases on April 1.
Explaining the rapport that he shares with Balki, the National Award-winning cinematographer states, “He mesmerises me with unknown concepts. I wait for such scripts that take me into unexplored territories.“ The DOP, who has worked with directors like Mani Ratnam and Shankar down South, adds that he is impressed with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Kapoor's performances in Ki & Ka. He elaborates, “Kareena is a big star and a fabulous actress to work with. But I'm amazed with the way Arjun played a house husband. While it's normal for a man to display masculinity in such a role, he was in control of his performance.“
Keeping in sync with the film's subject, Sreeram shot like an observer to portray the nuances of the couple's relationship. “Since the majority of the movie is between two characters, the cinematography has to be candid. That brings out the beauty of the story and enhances the narrative,“ he says.
He is optimistic that the subject will connect with viewers and they will love the lead pair's performances. “After this film, a lot of men will love to be house husbands. Nothing wrong with that as the world is changing for the better,“ he concludes.
Ki & Ka, presented by Eros International and Hope Productions, releases on April 1.