We were the first to inform you that The Mummy villain Arnold Vosloo (Nov 3) was confirmed to play a key role in writer-director Rahul Sankrityan’s next with Vijay Deverakonda. The latest we hear about the project is that acclaimed European and Hollywood cinematographer Éric Gautier, who is known for his outstanding work on films like The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and Into the Wild (2007), has hopped on board to be the film’s director of cinematography.
A source close to the development tells us exclusively, “From the outset, Rahul was looking at a cinematographer whose work has that international appeal, yet reflect the aesthetics of the region where the film is set in its truest form. He initially eyed a European cinematographer who has done extensive work in Hindi but it didn’t work out. Later, he reached out to Eric. Rahul is a big admirer of Eric’s resume, especially his work on the aforementioned films. Eric came on board after reading the script. #VD14’s images will be something that will stay with the audience for a long while.”
Having worked primarily in French cinema, Eric’s body of work spans more than three decades. Beginning his feature film career in 1991, he won a César Award –which is considered the highest film honor in France – for his cinematography on Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train (1998). Besides French auteurs, he has also collaborated with some acclaimed international names like Hirokazu Kore-eda (The Truth) and Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock).
Set in colonial India (1854-78), #VD14 which is a production venture of Mythri Movie Makers, narrates the story of a short-lived hero (played by Deverakonda), with a strong emotional core and scintillating action. The principal photography will kick off after Sankranti, with the first schedule set to start in Hyderabad. The film will be extensively shot in Rayalaseema region as well.
