/bollyy/media/media_files/2025/01/30/PDdyfMmrWSgP9TVhgxOC.jpg)
By Shantishwarup Tripathi
National Award-winning cinematographer Ravi Varman has been invited to become a new member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), one of the world’s leading organizations for cinematographers. After Santosh Sivan, Ravi Varman became the second Indian cinematographer to receive this honor. It's also worth noting that since 2024, Ravi Varman is a member of the 'Oscar' committee as well. The process of becoming a member of the ASC is extremely rigorous. The board members and Oscar-winning cinematographers closely review and discuss the work of potential new members before making the final decision.
Sharing his joy about receiving this great honor, cinematographer Ravi Varman expressed, "I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the board of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) for making me a member. Cinematographers from all around the world dream of being a part of this association. Being part of such a prestigious platform is a great source of happiness and pride for me, where the world's top cinematographers, including Oscar winners, are members." With a career spanning over 25 years as a cinematographer, Ravi Varman has worked on films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English. His journey is truly fascinating. Ravi Varman did not undergo any formal training to become a cinematographer; instead, he learned by working and gradually climbed up the ranks. His journey in the visual medium started not in a classroom, but in a small village in the South of India.
At the age of 13, after becoming an orphan and having to discontinue his formal education, Ravi moved to the city of Madras. There, he worked in various small jobs, often sleeping on the footpath. During these tough times, he found an unexpected source of comfort and inspiration — an out-of-focus photograph of his late mother, which became his only image of her. This single photograph ignited his passion for photography.
At 14, while working as a cleaner in a hotel, Ravi bought his first camera, the 'Zenith TTL 35mm film-SLR', with his first salary, even though he had no idea how to use it. Driven by curiosity and determination, he entered the film industry at the age of 16 as an office boy. Over time, he worked his way up and eventually became an assistant cinematographer. As an assistant, Ravi Varman explored the works of legendary filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, David Lean, Ingmar Bergman, and Alfred Hitchcock, which unknowingly shaped his visual sensibility. In 1999, Ravi Varman became an independent cinematographer, and over the past 25 years, he has shot more than 35 films and worked with over 30 directors. He has collaborated with some of India's top directors, including Mani Ratnam, Shankar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali, and American filmmaker Dune Adler. His work is known for its framing, glamour, flair, and the use of vibrant colors, which have earned him recognition both in India and abroad. He strives to capture a sense of surrealism and romance in his frames, often drawing inspiration from the world of painting. He has been deeply influenced by the colors of Salvador Dalí, the creativity and simplicity of Van Gogh, and the realism of Raja Ravi Varma.
His journey also took him to the world of advertising, where he shot commercials for major brands like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Lux, and others. Whether it's the grand scale of a feature film or the precision required in a commercial, his goal remains the same — to capture the essence of the story and create relevant images that leave a lasting impact. For him, the primary purpose of cinematography is to present reality in a different perspective and explore the ever-changing nature of light and color.
Ravi Varman’s life story is a testament to the fact that despite all odds, without any connections or a 'godfather', if a person consistently works with hope and sincerity, they can reach great heights.