Shamdat Sainudeen, the go-to cinematographer for debutant directors

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By Y Sunita Chowdhary

January 3, 2023

Cinematographer Shamdat Sainudeen’s repertoire is mixed: Some content-oriented stories and some commercial films.

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In his 18 year career he has crafted some memorable images, including The Tiger (Malayalam), Prasthanam, Sahasam, Uppena and Devadas.

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The cinematographer is known in industry circles for optimising resources and giving quality output.

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“Be it debutants or seniors, the job is the same. In this process, what we need is friendship and this rapport helps in communication,” says Sainudeen.

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“Those who work with me respect me, believe in me and understand what I try to convey. If someone doesn’t understand me, I try not to collaborate with them the next time.”

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“All the time I might not be right, so I look at what the director says. It is not always what you think is right.”

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“Mostly, I like being a cinematographer and getting into different stories. I want to tell stories that I will definitely direct whenever I have time.”

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“Every cameraman has done at least five films that stand out, the rest are management. It is all about the team.”

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Sainudeen is currently in the process of winding up Virupaksha, a thriller touted to be a comeback film for Sai Dharam Tej.

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For Virupaksha, “The shoot wasn’t challenging at all; it was like experiencing the story. I feel that I achieved 70 percent of what I perceived.”

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