Top 35 Rajiv Menon Quotes

Ashok Mehta was the man who brought contrast and lighting back to mainstream Hindi film cinematography.

I can’t write about NRI romances.

I have a brother and we lost our father when I was 15. And that was a big emotional upheaval in my life.

We have to create images that remain in people’s memory because a film is judged by what they have already seen. You are trying to create an image that is unique and you have to employ all the resources available to you.

Cinema has to move people.

Music is one field where your caste and religion is not important. People accept you so long as you can move them. It is a medium that allows you to fly beyond your caste.

When ’36 Chowringhee Lane’ was released in 1981, I was a student of the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu. Everyone who had seen the film was very impressed with its flawless direction and acting. But we, cinematography students, were stunned by the visual style, which was truly international.

I’m usually known for films that look beautiful and attractive, probably because I am a cinematographer too.

Film music is always given a step-motherly treatment though it is the most popular form of music.

I do what I feel like doing.

Accents are not for comic relief anymore; they root the character to the place they’re from.

Information is available freely on the Net, but what’s missing is passion. And only a teacher can impart that passion and deep desire for excellence every day. Moreover, a classroom environment helps overcome certain psychological aspects, including inferiority complex.

It is how you approach the role given to you, and how you relate to that character and then how you adapt and gel into that role which makes you a good actor.

Some films survive long in theatres, and some stay longer in people’s minds.

I like to shoot feature films because it’s about capturing emotions… words like guilt, hurt, betrayal.

My films are musically inclined.

Minsara Kanavu’ was a hit in the South, but not in the North.

I think directing a film is like a woman going through labour. After she goes through the labour pain and delivers her first baby, she says she will not going to have another baby. Then, when she sees the child growing up, she decides to have one more child!

I make my living by shooting ad-films, and, in fact, that’s how I began my career.

Films take us into an entirely different world, and that’s why we must ensure that our long shots do justice.

The film industry is moving towards digital technology.

The actor should understand the script and come prepared to play the role. At the same time, they should be flexible enough to take the director’s input and portray his vision.

You have to keep the audience glued by hook or crook.

Nothing prepares you for shooting in the sea. Some days the sea is choppy, some days the waves are long. When there is no wind, it’s fantastic to shoot, but your brain is burning because of the heat. You are shooting hand-held and taking a crane on a boat, which is risky since you can get toppled over.

Rajarathinam Pillai was a performing genius and a crusader. His was a shining mind, prone to excesses of temper and his life can be seen as a continuous struggle for recognition.

In Berkley, they have academic studies on all genres of music including rock and jazz, but in India, we don’t have serious academic research and studies on film music; it is such an interesting area of study.

I love telling stories. But I believe that nobody could teach you to direct a movie.

When an actor constructs reality, it has to be riveting and entertaining. There has to be an emotional connect with the audience.

I think I have underperformed as a filmmaker.

Good acting is confused with good dialogue delivery. Acting is about all about performance, and the way we interpret and understand the character that we bring alive onscreen.

You no more have to come to the city and access a laboratory to make a film. If you have a DSLR and a reasonably powerful laptop, you could be making films anywhere.

When I was in the 12th standard itself, I decided to join the Adyar Film Institute and study photography. I specifically chose photography because I see photography as an applied science. There is an artistic element also in it. If you perfect your scientific element, you can attain certain quality.

Ashok Mehta did not go to any institute. He did not carry the baggage of formal education.

You know, writing isn’t easy. It’s tedious. Ideas have a gestation period, and after a while, it becomes difficult.

I am very much open to doing cinematography for any talented filmmaker, if the script is good.