Vijay Sethupathi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The association between photographers L Ramachandran and Vijay Sethupathi has become an annual feature. In 2020, the duo came up with Human, a calendar that captured the mood of the lockdown. Kalaignan, in 2021, was a tribute to the folk artists of Tamil Nadu. And, the recently released calendar, The Artist, attempts to explore the different shades of an artist. In fact, Ramachandran declined other offers to work with Sethupathi on this project.
About working with the National Award-winning actor, he says, “It is a pleasure working with him.” “He totally transforms the subject. You’ll know how much hard work he puts into it when you watch our behind-the-scenes video. He doesn’t just pose the way I want him to; he gets the feeling.” is what I want to express through my photograph and portray it beautifully.
“We put paint all over his body. His eyes must have burnt. But he didn’t complain even once. He shot with us for about 20 hours. I was ready to fall. But he joked with the cast on the sets and posed for photos with them. That kind of energy is contagious.
The idea of making the calendar came to Ramachandran, who lives in Chennai, during a conversation with artists who paint Tamil film banners. “With going digital, the number of people who paint banners and on film sets is reducing. Being a photographer and cinematographer myself I can say how important they are. His contribution has played a big role in many of my photographs getting international acclaim. So, this calendar is a tribute to him.”
The photo series featured in the calendar depict a number of visual art forms (such as painting, sculpture and graffiti) and styles (such as abstract art and drawing). “We have used a variety of materials – such as polystyrene, wood, canvas, scrap materials, eco waste and even spray paint – to build the set,” says Ramachandran.
Each month in the calendar tells a unique theme. The July one, for instance, is titled Soulmates, in which Sethupathi, drenched in different colours, stands amid portraits of some of his favorite on-screen characters. The description reads, “The artist paints so many different artworks throughout his career that each one presents a different story and character. Those characters are the result of different backgrounds. More than characters, they are soulmates of an artist and his thought process.
This calendar was also Ramachandran’s most time consuming compared to the previous two with Sethupathi. “The whole thing took us a week. We had over 50 people designing and executing the sets.
Proceeds from the calendar will go to struggling visual artists in Tamil Nadu, through the Vijay Sethupathi Foundation.
The calendar can be purchased on amazon.in and store.lramachandran.com