Jalandhar Vasan

Jalendiran (born 26 February 1984), also credited as Jalandhar Vasan, is an Indian cinematographer who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He is known for his work on the Tamil films Kanne Kalaimaane (2019) and Kannai Nambathey (2023), as well as the Tamil web series Emoji (2022). He trained at the Balu Mahendra Institute of Film Technology (Cinema Pattarai), the film school established by acclaimed cinematographer-director Balu Mahendra in Chennai.

Early life and education

Jalandhar Vasan was born on 26 February 1984. He pursued formal training in cinematography at the Balu Mahendra Institute of Film Technology, also known as Cinema Pattarai, located in Saligramam, Chennai. The institute was founded in 2007 by legendary Tamil filmmaker and cinematographer Balu Mahendra, and offers courses in cinematography, direction, and acting.

Career

Kanne Kalaimaane (2019)

Vasan made his feature film debut as cinematographer on Kanne Kalaimaane (transl. My Dear Gorgeous!), a 2019 Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin under the Red Giant Movies banner. The film starred Udhayanidhi Stalin and Tamannaah Bhatia, with music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and editing by Kasi Viswanathan. Filming took place primarily in Madurai between January and March 2018, completing in a single schedule of 45 days. The film was released on 22 February 2019. IndiaGlitz noted that his debut gave him the opportunity to capture rustic locales and the life of farmers on film.

Emoji (2022)

Vasan served as the director of photography for Emoji, a 2022 Tamil-language web series spanning seven episodes, written and directed by Sen. S. Rangasamy. The series starred Mahat Raghavendra alongside Devika Satheesh and Maanasa Chowdary, with music by Sanath Bharadwaj and editing by MR Rejeesh. The series was produced by A. M. Sampath Kumar. Filming took place across locations including Chennai, Thenkasi, Nagercoil, Hyderabad, and forest areas of Kerala.

Kannai Nambathey (2023)

Vasan served as the cinematographer of Kannai Nambathey (transl. Don't Trust Your Eyes), a 2023 Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by Mu. Maran. The film starred Udhayanidhi Stalin, Prasanna, Srikanth, Aathmika, and Bhumika Chawla, with music by Siddhu Kumar and editing by San Lokesh. The film was produced by V. N. Ranjith Kumar under Lipi Cine Crafts and distributed by Red Giant Movies. Principal photography commenced on 11 February 2019 but experienced delays owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and Udhayanidhi's growing political commitments, with certain portions completed only by January 2022. The film received a U/A certification from the Central Board of Film Certification and was theatrically released on 17 March 2023.

Critics noted Vasan's contribution to the film's visual presentation. Behindwoods wrote that his "cinematography gives the film what it exactly requires". Kollywood Zone observed that Vasan "set up his camera at right spots" and that "his visuals are colorful". The Times of India critic, however, suggested that "with better lighting techniques and staging... the film might have created a greater impact".

Filmography

External links

• Jalandhar Vasan at Moviebuff.com
• Jalandhar Vasan at Rotten Tomatoes