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'Test' Cinematographer Viraj Singh on Filming The Netflix Cricket Drama and Why Nayanthara is a 'Sharp' Actor
Viraj Singh on being moved by the story of 'Test,' which he terms "an intimate drama" headlined by stars, with cricket as the backdrop.
When he came on board Netflix's latest cricket drama Test, acclaimed cinematographer Viraj Singh was also excited to lens three stars he had heard so much about: Nayanthara, R Madhavan, and Siddharth.
"We had heard that Nayanthara was particular about her lighting. So the joke was that if I didn't do my work correctly, I would get fired!" Singh laughs as he talks to The Hollywood Reporter India about filming Test, which marks the directorial debut of his long-time friend S Sashikanth.
"But throughout the shoot, Nayanthara never once asked for an unnecessary tweak. Despite being a star, she carried her fame lightly, and it never impacted our work."
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According to the official synopsis, Test follows Saravanan (Madhavan) and Kumudha (Nayanthara), as they navigate the complexities of marriage while pursuing their own dreams, and Arjun (Siddharth), who wrestles with the fine line between professional and personal choices, alongside his wife Padma (Meera Jasmine).
Singh, who has shot for titles like Prime Video series Sweet Karam Coffee, the 2021 Mani Ratnam-backed Netflix anthology Navarasa and the 2018 documentary Harmony with A.R. Rahman, said he was moved by the story of Test, which he terms "an intimate drama" headlined by stars, with cricket as the backdrop.
"It is apparent when a star walks into a room, but in this case, all of them were so accommodating. Sure, you are aware of their presence, so you follow their rhythm, which is the right thing to do. There are different qualities a DoP has, and one is speed. When Nayanthara would arrive on set, we would make sure to maximise her time. As soon as she was ready, we'd begin rolling. If you make them wait for two hours, no one is going to like it."
Singh said the general industry norm is that actors head to their vanity vans as soon as they are done with their shot. But the sets of Test were different.
"Once the actors go back to their vans, you have to call them again for the next shot, and by then, they could be having a cup of coffee or finishing a phone call. So a lot of time goes into that. But Nayanthara never left the set! When a shot would be set up, she would be around and absolutely willing to come and stand in the frame just for me to get a sense. I remember Sashikanth once telling me, 'How can you call her just for this?!' but she had no problem. Of course, you have to be sensitive as well and be aware of the personality in front of you. Madhavan is a great guy; he is a really cool person, but you cannot also forget the star that he is." Singh added.
With Nayanthara, Sigh recalled, he had to be on the toes as the actor comes armed with a "sharp" knowledge of the camera. "On the last few days of the shoot, we were filming at a house that had a central courtyard, which was open to the sky. I had to put up a huge light to shoot at night as we had already finished filming the day scenes. We were all tired by then, and I saw Nayanthara getting her make-up and costume done. Suddenly, she looked at me and signalled that the light I had set up was too bright."
"Now, there was no way for her to know that because the shot hadn't happened yet. We were yet to film even the first take, so she would not know what exposure I was going to use. But she was so sharp that she picked it up just by standing there; I was stunned. Which meant that she was closely watching," he recalls.
Produced by YNOT Studios, Test chronicles how three different lives intertwine—a cricketer fuelled by passion, a teacher caught between love and duty, and a scientist on the brink of brilliance. The film releases on April 4.