Personal details
- Professions: Cinematographer, Art Director, Camera and Electrical Department
R. Rathnavelu, or Randy if you’ve been around the block in Indian cinema, is basically a legend behind the camera. The guy’s got a Physics degree (so, you know he’s not just winging it) and then trained at FTIT in Cinematography. He kicked off his career shadowing Rajiv Menon, did commercials, and even jumped into Mani Ratnam’s classic Bombay. But things really got wild with his debut film Aravindan back in ’97, and it only went up from there. Sethu, Nandha, Arya, Jagadam, Cyanide—these movies didn’t just look good, they practically slapped people awake with their visual style. Rathnavelu’s work isn’t just about making things pretty. He’s the guy who’ll take a sci-fi epic like Enthiran (Robot), throw down gritty village vibes in Rangasthalam, and then switch gears for a full-on war drama like Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. Directors love working with him—Bala, Shankar, Sukumar, Gautam Vasudev Menon—the list’s ridiculous. That partnership with Sukumar alone changed the game for Telugu cinema, from Arya all the way to Rangasthalam over sixteen years. The man’s got a trophy shelf that probably needs its own house: three Filmfares, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, SIIMA, Zee Awards, Vijay Awards, Kalaimamani… you name it. Oh, and when he’s not reinventing movies, he’s shooting ads for top brands. Currently, he’s busy with Indian 2, which everyone’s losing their minds over. Basically, if Rathnavelu’s on board, you know the film’s going to look like nothing else.
referencennSo, here’s a bit of trivia that’s kinda wild if you’re into Indian cinema. The cinematographer for Jagadam (2007), directed by Sukumar, actually turned down working on the massive S. Shankar film Sivaji (also 2007). Yeah, that’s Rajinikanth’s Sivaji, which was a huge deal. Imagine saying “nah, I’ll pass” to a big-budget superstar film just to go work on a gritty, raw project like Jagadam. It says a lot about their priorities, right? Maybe it was about creative freedom, maybe just vibes, who knows. But it’s definitely not a move you see every day in the industry, where most folks would jump at the chance to be part of a blockbuster. And honestly, Jagadam’s visuals kinda slap, so maybe it all worked out for the best. Just goes to show, sometimes picking the underdog project can leave a bigger mark.
Konidela Ram Charan