Three decades ago, Indian cinematographer BR Vijayalakshmi became Asia’s first woman cinematographer. Daughter of legendary actor, producer, and director BR Panthulu, she has worked in 22 feature films. 

Along with working in movies, she has also worked for television and is currently also the senior vice-president of Saregama, a music label, film studio and multi-language television content production house. The multifaceted woman does not stop here, she also has also tried her hands at direction. In the year 1995, she made her directorial debut with the romantic Tamil movie Paattu Padava, for which she was also the scriptwriter and cinematographer. The film was highly appreciated and was screened at the International Film Festival of India.

After her first successful movie, she went back to work on television. After 22 years, she is back to work her magic in the world of movies with her Malayalam-Tamil bilingual film Abhiyude Katha Anuvinteyum, a romantic drama starring Tovino Thomas and Pia Bajpai, which hit the theatres yesterday.

Vijayalakshmi’s movie is based on a true incident from Latin America and it focuses on the real troubles a couple faces after getting married. The character Anu, played by Pia, is an organic farmer in Ooty, and Abhi, played by Tovino, is a software engineer in Chennai. After falling in love, they both get married with the blessings of their parents. Unlike other rom-coms, this movie begins after the happily-married stage. Vijayalakshmi shares, “The story doesn’t end with the marriage, rather it begins there. They face a situation where the validity of their marriage comes under the scanner. The pain they go through and how they cope with the situation take the story forward.”

However, unlike her first directorial venture, she isn’t handling both cinematography and direction for the second movie. Vijayalakshmi shares the reason, saying, “Having handled both in Paattu Paadava, I realised that it would be better if I focused only on direction. Akilan is the DOP and he has captured some amazing frames from our locations in Wagamon, Erattupetta, Chalakudy, and Chennai.“

It’s a refreshing feeling coming back to the direction world, says Vijayalakshmi. When asked if she felt different at all, she replied, “Not at all. Rather I felt alive and the experience was so refreshing. Everyone was supportive and Santosh, especially, was always around for motivation. True, there have been changes in technology; earlier we shot in films and now it has gone digital. But the basic concept of filmmaking hasn’t changed and so I was at home on the sets.”

“Last year the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective honoured me. It was a great gesture and I felt a sense of achievement. This forum has over 100 women cinematographers as members and I wish all of them to get more opportunities. They all are hungry for work,” said Vijayalakshmi.

H/T: The Hindu