Every Shot Has to Carry Emotion: DoP Senthil Kumar

“There’s no set formula for visualizing a film,” Senthil begins. “Each film is unique. Each story demands a different approach depending on what the director wants to say. It’s never about imposing my own visual style — it’s about understanding what the story needs.”

He explains that every film begins with two essential questions — what the story is about, and how the director wants to tell it. “It could be about scale, or it could be about style,” he says. “Sometimes it’s about how much you want to stylize a scene. Every film has to be approached in a way that’s true to its own world.”

Having completed 25 years as a cinematographer, Senthil has seen technology change dramatically — from film to digital, from tungsten lights to LEDs. “You have to keep adapting,” he says. “Audiences now consume content on so many formats — phones, OTT, theatres — and the way they watch cinema has changed. So we have to present it in a way that matches or even goes beyond what they are used to.”

At the heart of his craft, though, is emotion. “Lighting, framing, camera movement — all of that comes after you understand what the director wants to tell,” he explains. “For me, cinematography is about helping the director tell his story in the best possible way. Every shot has to carry an emotion, a meaning. If that emotion reaches the audience, then the job is done.”

Talking about his upcoming films ‘Swayambhu’ and ‘The India House’, Senthil reveals the different visual tones he’s exploring. “Swayambhu is set in medieval India, about a village boy who becomes a warrior. We didn’t want to stylize it too much — it has to feel rooted, aspirational, something the audience can connect with. The story moves across two regions, so I have tried to give each part its own visual tone.”

On the other hand, The India House unfolds during the early years of India’s freedom movement. “Most of it is set in London, at a time when Indians were realizing they were being ruled and beginning to find their voice. We wanted it to look realistic but still retain the aesthetics of a commercial film. We didn’t want to make it look like a documentary — just real enough to feel authentic, but cinematic enough to hold emotion.”

When asked if he prefers capturing urban or rural landscapes, he smiles. “Personally, I like rural landscapes. But as a cinematographer, it’s not about what I like — it’s about what suits the story best.”

His process begins with the emotional core of the story. “That’s the foundation,” he says. “Then we collect references, discuss them, and find a middle ground with the director. After that comes the colour palette, then camera movement, lighting, lensing — every small detail. But no matter how much you plan, when you’re on set, things change. The actors bring energy that you have to respond to. So while you’re shooting, there’s a mental checklist — light, lens, ratio, production design — and when everything feels right, that’s when I call the shot.”

Senthil’s reflections reveal a professional who is always evolving. “Whenever I see my old films, I always think I could have done better,” he admits. “Even Baahubali — when we re-released it, I got a chance to regrade the film, fix colours, and that made me so happy. Because now when people see it, they say it looks like a recent film, not something made ten years ago.”

That constant self-evaluation, he says, keeps him going. “If I shot the same film today, I would shoot it differently. Technology evolves, and so do we. You become more mature, you learn what to push and what to let go.”

He recalls the compliments that stay with him — from veterans like Santosh Sivan and international icons like Robert Richardson. “When Richardson told me he had seen Baahubali and revisits it often — that was something special. A legend appreciating your work — that’s very satisfying.”

But for Senthil, what he cherishes most is the journey. “When I started, Telugu cinema was looked down upon. People called it loud or unrealistic. But today, the whole country is watching Telugu cinema. I feel proud to have been part of that change. The journey itself — that’s been the most fulfilling part.”