Cinematographer Ravivarman becomes second Indian to be inducted into ASC

Chennai, Jan 30: National Award-winning cinematographer Ravivarman, best known for having shot several landmark films including ace director Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, has now been inducted into the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). Ravivarman is only the second Indian cinematographer to be inducted into this academy. The only other Indian cinematographer who has been inducted into the ASC is cinematographer Santosh Sivan.

Cinematographers who have won multiple Oscar awards watch a cinematographer's body of work, assess the quality of the cinematography, discuss and then collectively grant this recognition. Ravivarman, who posted pictures of himself at the ASC on his X timeline, wrote on Wednesday, “I began my career filled with uncertainty. Life led me to where I am today, and since then, I've been carefully planning my steps to discover the true meaning and purpose of my life.” Several film industry professionals have been congratulating Ravi Varman on his inclusion in the ASC.

Accepting the recognition, Ravi Varman said, "I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to the board of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) for inducting me as a member. Cinematographers from all over the world dream of joining this association. It gives me great joy and pride to be included in a platform where the world's leading cinematographers who have won awards including Oscars are members. I wholeheartedly thank those who made me realise this dream.”

In the last 25 years, Ravi Varman has shot many films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English. He has collaborated with many great directors of India. Some of the noteworthy films that Ravi Varman has shot include Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan', Shankar’s ‘Anniyan’, Gautham Menon’s 'Vettaiyaadu Vaidyaadu' and Anurag Basu’s 'Barfi'.