Having worked in blockbusters like Vikram’s Dhool, Vijay’s Ghilli and Vetaikaaran among others, he reveals the reason behind being choosy with films, “I would like to take up one project at a time as I involve myself in a film right from its pre-production. I sit and brainstorm with the director and art director on how to go about the colour palette and grading for every single frame to make it easier for all of us on the sets. Some might call me a dominating person, which isn’t true. I’m possessive about the projects I work in. When it goes to the edit table, the workload for the editor should be minimal. As a cinematographer, I should convey the story to people even when the dialogue is on mute,” he explains.

Gopinath also reveals about hunting locations and obtaining permissions, a process that many away from the industry are not aware of. “For government permissions, we need to zero in on the locations well in advance as it would take at least five days for the permission to be granted. We need to inform the nearest police station and also acquire a permission from the Corporation ward offices. To shoot in private spaces, two days are enough,” he opens up. According to him, hunting location for Dhill’s climax scene, in which Vikram was seen hanging from a railway bridge is his most memorable experience. “I had the free hand to select any bridge I wanted to. However, as a child, I used to travel from Kumbakonam to Chennai by train on the same bridge that kept flashing in my memory. I set out on my bike beyond Chengalpattu and found this place which fitted the bill for the scene. When the film was remade in Hindi, they couldn’t find a suitable location and asked us for the same place. The Hindi climax featuring Vivek Oberoi too was shot in the same place.” Talking about his upcoming projects, he laughs, “I have signed another film, which is a cop story too.”

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