In any high-performing industry, certain imaginatives become mythical under specific conditions of creativity, artistic spirit, and vision combination. Some of this legendary hybrid is found in Tollywood. For example, Sukumar with Devi Sri Prasad, Rajamouli with Senthil Kumar, Sukumar with Chandrabose, and Rajamouli with Keeravani and how their joint ventures created a timeless cinema experience.
SS Rajamouli’s working relationship with his cinematographer Senthil Kumar has been value-rich, with Senthil being the visual interpreter of his nearly all of Rajamouli’s blockbusters. Rajamouli remarked Senthil’s craftsmanship takes Rajamouli’s cinematic vision, and results its representation with near perfection on the screen.
Fans have been somewhat surprised to find that for Rajamouli’s upcoming film SSMB29 there is a new cinematographer, PS Vinod, in place of Senthil Kumar. Of course, considering the recent news, it has all hatched speculation among inquisitive film fans as to whether the absence of Kumar was an early sign of trouble.
Senthil Kumar was interviewed while promoting the movie Junior, on which he served as the cinematographer, and the interviewer asked him if he had a rift with Rajamouli. Senthil responded by stating that there was no hostility or anything going on between them. Senthil said Rajamouli had selected various cinematographers for some of his films, like Maryada Ramanna and Vikramarkudu, when Senthil was perfectly available to shoot. They worked back together again and again with no hard feelings.
Senthil was confident that the same was true for SSMB29 and said that Rajamouli was trying something completely different in terms of style for this film, first by working with PS Vinod. In his opinion, that is a creative decision, not a fallout, and there will always be an opportunity for Senthil and Rajamouli to work together in the future.
Fans and industry members agree that Rajamouli’s choice reflects an attempt to try some different visual storytelling styles and has nothing to do with having issues with Senthil. Again, it just shows how some highly successful partnerships, like Senthil and Rajamouli, take breaks to allow for other creative work.
