Case studies
Santosh Sivan is a multi award-winning
Indian cinematographer from
Kerala in South India, and a founding
member of the Indian Society of
Cinematographers (ISC). He received
the National Award for Best
Cinematographer for the films
Perumthachan (1990) and
Kala Pani (1996), among others.
His father is a renowned director
and cinematographer of Malayalam
documentary films, and runs the
Trivandrum-based Sivan Studio.
Santosh is the older brother of film
director Sanjiv Sivan and younger
brother of director Sangeeth Sivan.
His directorial debut was the critically
acclaimed The Terrorist (1999),
which he also wrote. Santosh followed
it up with the historical drama
Ashoka the Great (2001), starring
Indian megastar Shahrukh Khan.
His latest film, Before the Rains,
is a period drama and is his first
English language film as director.
By Chris Patmore
Santosh Sivan’s Visual Language
Is this the first time you’ve collaborated 1930s. It is actually set in Kerala, which the people and conflict, because the road is
with Merchant Ivory? not very many people have explored, and it being built and it’s an intrusion into the
Actually James Ivory saw the film and has this history of all these fantastic tea forest, so there is a little bit of unrest.
wanted to attach presents to the film. It’s not estates, which were developed by the English. Similarly, the English culture and the
that they joined before the film. The film The weather was very similar to that of culture of the local land are always clashing.
is actually produced by Echo Lake England—cold—and tea grows in such What I find very interesting is that it is a
Productions with Doug Mankoff as producer, areas. I also like Kerala as a backdrop because very universal theme, even in a place like
we had Paul Hardart from Adirondack I am from there. Secondly, when I was a New York or any of these metropolitan
Pictures and Ashok Rao from Excalibur kid, I used to be fascinated by all these places, you find there are people from
Pictures and they have all put in together winding roads that go up the hills where different cultures living together and people
and we have made this film. The story idea there is pepper and spices. Most of the are always curious about other cultures,
is from Doug Mankoff, who has the rights European interest in India was to do with and that curiosity makes them attracted to
to a short film called Red Roofs. That spices. People used to come in ancient times each other, because in the end it is all man
film had all black and white characters, so looking for spices. That particular aspect of and woman. Then they realise all the problems
the story was taken and we sat down with it is very interesting for our culture, so I and the cultural backdrop and all the other
screenwriter Cathy Rabin and made it into liked the idea of these roads going up. That things to it that make it complex. So the
a full-fledged film, set in India in the is there as a premise for the film. It is about film explores that in a way too.
58 By Filmmakers. For Filmmakers.
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