Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya, which is soon to hit the theatres is said to be one of the most ambitious project the filmmaker has ever made. While he has made sure he ensure the best of everything for the project, the filmmaker recently confirmed the film had not one but two DOPs (Director of Photography) in the film. When asked what about the film based on Ranjit Desai’s book, Raja Ravi Varma, featuring Randeep Hooda and Nandana Sen needed two DOPS, Mehta said that they didn’t want to compromise on the cinematography of the film. Given it is a film based on the artistic, Raja Ravi Varma, a celebrated painter and his muse, the director was positive he wanted no one other than Rali Raltchev for the film.
“Ravi Varma is such a part of our consciousness that I wanted a fresh pair of eyes to see, what we take for granted. After all, when you make a film on India’s most successful painter, the visuals have to be special,” quipped Mehta.
However, Raltchev who is a renowned for his work wasn’t going to be easy to work with, the one major hindrance being Raltchev spoke only Bulgarian-German, and as most of the communication was about technicalities a regular interpreter would not have been of much help. It was Deepa Sahi, who’s producing the film in association with Aanand Mahendroo, who suggested hiring another cinematographer who could speak Bulgarian as well as English. So, they roped in Rali’s friend, Christo Bakalov, a DOP based in New York. And Rang Rasiya ended up with two international DOPs.
Rang Rasiya, presented by Jayantilal Gada (PEN) and co-produced by Dhaval Jayantilal Gada, Kushal Kantilal Gada and Reshma Kadakia, is slated for November 7th release.
