# Ravi Varman
**Ravi Varman** is an Indian cinematographer who works across the Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi film industries, known for a poetic, painterly visual style and for films such as *Barfi!*, *Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela*, *Tamasha*, *Jagga Jasoos*, and the two-part epic *Ponniyin Selvan*, for the first part of which he won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography.[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) • [2](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412201.pdf) He is a member of the [American Society of Cinematographers](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-society-of-cinematographers) (ASC), the Indian Society of Cinematographers, and the [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences).[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India; hometown Poyyundarkudikadu in the Thanjavur district[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) • [1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) |
| Debut | Began shooting Malayalam films in 1999 with *Jalamarmaram*[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) • [4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) |
| Signature films | *Anniyan* (2005), *Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu* (2006), *Dasavathaaram* (2008), *Barfi!* (2012), *Ram-Leela* (2013), *Tamasha* (2015), *Kaatru Veliyidai* (2017), *Sanju* (2018), *Ponniyin Selvan: I & II* (2022–2023), *Indian 2* (2024)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) |
| Top honor | National Film Award for Best Cinematography, 70th awards, for *Ponniyin Selvan: Part I*; Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs. 200,000[2](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412201.pdf) |
| ASC membership | Inducted January 2025; the second Indian member after Santosh Sivan[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) • [5](https://flickside.com/ravi-varman-cinematographer/) |
| Other work | More than 350 commercials, including spots for Samsung, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Vivo; directed the Tamil film *Moscowin Kaveri* (2010)[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) |
## Early life
Varman was born in [Thanjavur](https://www.edgepedia.org/thanjavur) district, [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu), and grew up in the village of Poyyundarkudikadu.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) • [1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) He was orphaned at age 12 and had to leave school, discontinuing his studies in the seventh standard, to seek work.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) • [1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) He made his way to Madras (now Chennai), worked odd jobs, and at times slept on the streets.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/)
**First camera.** At 14, while working as a hotel cleaner, he bought his first camera, a Zenit TTL SLR, motivated by a treasured snapshot of his mother, though he did not initially know how the camera worked.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) At 18 he entered the film industry as an office boy and spent two years moving through jobs as a makeup artist, art assistant, and assistant director before becoming an assistant cinematographer; he learned English by watching movies with an English-to-Tamil dictionary.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) He has described his path as one with no formal training in cinematography.[6](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/2012/sep/12/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-ravi-varman-on-barfi.htm)
## Career
Varman began shooting features in Malayalam in 1999 with *Jalamarmaram*, and later worked in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and English-language cinema.[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) • [4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) Early credits include *Five Star* (2002), *Shadow Kill* (2002), and *Kilichundan Mambazham* (2003).[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/s_ravi_varman) His work with [Priyadarshan](https://www.edgepedia.org/priyadarshan) on *Kilichundan Mampazham*, he has said, helped him handle the grand scale of Shankar's *Anniyan* and [Kamal Haasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kamal-haasan)'s *Dasavathaaram*, and that experience in turn prepared him for [Sanjay Leela Bhansali](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-leela-bhansali)'s large-scale *Ram-Leela*.[8](https://www.moviecrow.com/interviews/14/cinematographer-ravi-varman-interview)
**Hindi cinema.** In Bollywood he has photographed [Anurag Basu](https://www.edgepedia.org/anurag-basu)'s *Barfi!* (2012) and *Jagga Jasoos* (2017), Bhansali's *Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela* (2013), Imtiaz Ali's *Tamasha* (2015), [Rajkumar Hirani](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajkumar-hirani)'s *Sanju* (2018), and *Mission Mangal* (2019).[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) He won the IIFA and Zee Cine Awards for Best Cinematography for *Barfi!* and a Zee Cine Award for *Ram-Leela*.[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/awards/)
**Ponniyin Selvan and the National Award.** Mani Ratnam's two-part period epic *Ponniyin Selvan* was shot in a contemporary style over 135 days across both parts.[10](https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/ravi-varman-asc-isc-on-indian-cinema/) At the 70th [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), Varman received the Award for Best Cinematography for *Ponniyin Selvan: Part I* (Tamil), with the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs. 200,000; the same film also won [A. R. Rahman](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-r-rahman) the award for background music and Anand Krishnamoorthi the award for sound design.[2](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412201.pdf) He also received [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards) for both parts of the film.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) More recently he shot Shankar's *Indian 2* (2024).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/)
**Directing and other formats.** Varman directed the Tamil romantic film *Moscowin Kaveri*, released in 2010, and filmed the music video for the song "Bird Flu" by the British Tamil songwriter M.I.A.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/) His commercial work exceeds 350 spots for brands including Samsung, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Vivo.[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/)
## Visual style
Varman's frames draw on painting and other art forms: he has cited [Rembrandt](https://www.edgepedia.org/rembrandt) for lighting and Picasso for composition, and describes *Kaatru Veliyidai* as a painting-like film, *Tamasha* as rooted in street photography, *Jagga Jasoos* as reflecting the world of comic books, and *Ram-Leela* as carrying references to *Romeo and Juliet*.[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) His glare-and-flare technique in *Barfi!* introduced a look that, by his own website's account, remains popular in the industry.[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) At an IFFI masterclass in November 2025 he said that Tolstoy's *War and Peace* inspired a war sequence in *Ponniyin Selvan*, that the colors of Madurai Holi shaped the Holi scenes in *Ramleela*, and that the gentle morning light he loves softened scenes in *Barfi*; he summarized his approach to illumination with the statement "There is no bad light. Only the mind decides."
He describes himself as non-technical in preparation, saying the only thing he prepares is an understanding of the soul of the film, because cinematography is essentially storytelling.[8](https://www.moviecrow.com/interviews/14/cinematographer-ravi-varman-interview) He does not usually prepare detailed storyboards, instead letting instinct and surroundings guide him on set.[11](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2304229&lang=1®=1)
## Recognition
Varman's awards include the EME International Award for Best Cinematographer for *Santham* (2000), his first international award; the Tamil Nadu State Film Award and Vikatan Best Cinematography for *Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu* (2007); an IFTA for *Dasavatharam* (2009); Star Guild, IIFA, and Zee Cine Awards for *[Barfi!](https://www.edgepedia.org/barfi)* (2012); SIIMA and Vijay Awards for *Kaatru Veliyidai* (2018); and National Film Award, Filmfare, Asian Film Award, Ananda Vikatan, SIIMA, and IIFA honors for *Ponniyin Selvan*.[12](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/awards) • [10](https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/ravi-varman-asc-isc-on-indian-cinema/) He has also received the Kalaimamani Award from the government of Tamil Nadu.[1](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio) In January 2025 the American Society of Cinematographers inducted him as a member, making him the second Indian cinematographer in the society after [Santosh Sivan](https://www.edgepedia.org/santosh-sivan).[4](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/) • [5](https://flickside.com/ravi-varman-cinematographer/)
## References
1. [Bio — Ravi Varman, Director of Photography (official website)](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/bio)
2. [70th National Film Awards winners, Press Information Bureau](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412201.pdf)
3. [Ravi Varman, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/)
4. [ASC Inducts New Member Ravi Varman, The American Society of Cinematographers (January 25, 2025)](https://theasc.com/news/asc-inducts-new-member-ravi-varman/)
5. [Beyond The Frame: In Conversation with Ravi Varman ASC ISC, Flickside (March 11, 2025)](https://flickside.com/ravi-varman-cinematographer/)
6. [Ravi Varman: There is no sadness in Barfi!, Rediff.com Movies (September 12, 2012)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/2012/sep/12/slide-show-1-south-interview-with-ravi-varman-on-barfi.htm)
7. [S. Ravi Varman Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/s_ravi_varman)
8. [Cinematographer Ravi Varman interview, Moviecrow](https://www.moviecrow.com/interviews/14/cinematographer-ravi-varman-interview)
9. [Ravi Varman — Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890061/awards/)
10. [Ravi Varman ASC ISC on Indian cinema, British Cinematographer](https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/ravi-varman-asc-isc-on-indian-cinema/)
11. ["Light is the Most Important Element in Visual Storytelling": Ravi Varman at NFDC Cinematography Masterclass, Press Information Bureau](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2304229&lang=1®=1)
12. [Awards — Ravi Varman, Director of Photography (official website)](https://www.ravivarmandop.com/awards)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Cinematographers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license