Excellent VFX work has been done in Kantara Chapter 1, which has earned more than Rs 600 crore worldwide. Sanjeet, who is the VFX supervisor of this film, has returned to the South Indian film industry after 12 years and this is his first film with Rishabh Shetty.
Rishabh Shetty’s film ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ has collected more than Rs 600 crore at the worldwide box office in just 11 days. As interesting as the story of this film is, its VFX has made it equally captivating. Sanjeet is the VFX supervisor of this film and has returned to the South Indian film industry after almost 12 years. This is her first film with Rishabh Shetty. In an exclusive conversation with Asianet News Hindi, Sanjeet talked openly about the film, collaboration with Rishabh Shetty and VFX. Excerpts from the conversation with him:
Q. What is the actual job of a VFX Supervisor?
A. The job of a VFX supervisor is to take the story that the director has written and to shuffle it around to give it the visuals that he wants and to connect with him and bring his vision to the screen. It is our job to convey their vision convincingly to the audience.
Also read: Such a big blunder in ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ which has earned Rs 600 crore! This one thing ruined the fun
Q. How did your collaboration with Rishabh Shetty happen?
A. This is my first film with Rishabh Shetty. I reached Kundapur on the very day of the film’s Muhurta. He explained the whole story to me. When those people explained, visuals were visible in their explanation. He visualized the picture and told us that it should be like this. We saw the picture in the story narration itself. He had so much clarity that this is what I want. He mentioned everything about what to show.
He clarified that the visual should not go completely beyond our Kantara route. Indian culture should be visible in the film, it should not go out of it. You will understand if you watch the film. Right from the beginning we enter inside ‘Kantara’ and till the end of the film our mind does not divert anywhere.
Q. How was the experience of working with Rishabh Shetty?
A. It was very good. How can I tell his experience? They go deep into every department. They tell where to get what and what they need. He guides us by becoming a Guru. I was the VFX supervisor, but they were telling me I wanted this, not that. We don’t need to do things again and again with them. When they get what they want, they become happy. It is a different matter that it is necessary for them to be satisfied. There was no reference in some things. Like if we are showing God in the form of fire, there is no reference or picture for that. We have to make all this.
We had to go with him every day for 18 months. Be it on shoot, edit or VFX. This was a daily process. Because of that I got this ultra outfit. There was no such system that we will shoot and give it, you will do that.
Also read: Kantara Chapter 1 Joins 400 crore club in India, earns so many CR on 11th day!
Q. Which scene of Kantara Chapter 1 was the most difficult to design?
A. Talking about difficulty, I can say about the climax. Not about the visuals, but about its execution. I can talk about that from a VFX point of view. At least 20 studios have worked in this as a VFX supervisor. In some shots, three studios were working for one shot. The background of the same shot is being done by a studio. One part of it was being done by another studio, while the upcoming part of Aag Mein Tiger was being done by a third studio. There was some difficulty in doing this co-ordination. We enjoyed it. Communicating with so many people for one shot, going from here to there, then coming back from there…it was a bit difficult. The rest happened as planned.
There was no tension. Because we used to start editing whatever was shot from the next day after the shooting was completed. Edited and then started VFX. We had only two months left after the shooting was completed in July. Because the film was to be released in October. It was not possible to create such good VFX in two months. So we continued the editing and VFX process along with shooting. Whatever portion was shot, we would start editing and VFX work on it. In the last two months, we have worked on combining all the edited parts.
Q. What was the total time taken to create VFX?
A. The first sequence we shot was the one with Tiger. As soon as the shoot was over, we started VFX work on it. After that we never stopped. It took 18 months to shoot the film. The same amount of time was spent working on its VFX. Because both the works were going on simultaneously.
Q. Have you prepared VFX for any South film before?
A. I am actually from the South. I was doing completely Hindi films for 12 years. That means after 12 years I was called to South to do a film. I thought that if it is a good film then I will do it. Was waiting for a good opportunity. By the grace of God, Rishabh Shetty called me. I didn’t think anything again. On hearing the name ‘Kantara’ I thought that this is what I was waiting for. God gave me this opportunity to prove what I wanted to prove for so many years. Keeping this on priority, he set out and returned to Mumbai only after 18 months.
Q. You worked in Bollywood as well as in South. What do you see as the difference between the two industries?
A. There is no difference in working style etc. We see the difference in how the script has been used. The VFX of ‘Kantara’ is visible so highlighted, it means that he has written it in that way. He gave time for this in advance. Time is very important. That’s why he did the shooting as it should be. Everything has happened as per plan. There was VFX in the script of ‘Kantara’ itself. He did not add any more VFX after the shoot. He had included VFX in his theme itself.