The Paradise: Cinematographer CH Sai says 'Vision of the film is beyond imagination'

Ever since The Paradise was announced, the buzz hasn’t slowed down. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the man behind Dasara, and headlined by Star Nani, the film is already being spoken of as a massive pan-India spectacle. Now, cinematographer CH Sai has added to the anticipation with his bold claim: “The vision of The Paradise is beyond imagination.”

CH Sai, who is known for his meticulous approach, revealed how he sketched frames before filming to get a sense of the look. He said, “Based on the ideas of Srikanth, we utilised a lot of things to understand what might work and what won’t. Of course, there are references from real life, too, but using AI allowed us to try out various things before zeroing in on what works for the film.”

Talking about  Sivakarthikeyan and Nani, Sai said, “Working with Sivakarthikeyan was right in my comfort zone. He is very natural. Nani is someone who is super real. He goes even when he is not given any spotlight. He gives all his 100 percent energy even when we pack up. He gives all his involvement till the very last day of the shoot.”

Talking about shooting styles, he compared his earlier project Idhayam Murali, “In Idhayam Murali, I got thrown into a nostalgic mood. We were shooting in picturesque locales, and my mind often drifted to those memories. In contrast, we are doing The Paradise which was shot in the forests. For the drama, the focus was entirely on frames ready for larger-than-life appeal. But for The Paradise, we had to create its own visual world. It was a different challenge to make the audience believe in that world.”