Tale of a humble ‘star’ photographer

He is an ace photographer who rose from a rural background to become an internationally renowned lensman. He had  exclusively shot legends like Kamal Haasan, Ilayaraja and AR Rahman, to mention a few,  apart from being the preferred photographer for all film star and political weddings.  Karthik Srinivasan gets up, close and personal with DC and speaks of his rise and struggles on the way.

We all hear inspirational stories of making it big in life after coming from a humble background, and here we have Karthik Srinivasan who has created a niche for himself on the photography scene and been a darling for the who’s who of the glam world for over a decade now. But the path was certainly not a bed of roses given that he dreamt of a career in a field as challenging as cinematography in a world that was all new to him.

Going back in time, Karthik recalls, “Dad used to bring all those film magazines and I would get so fascinated seeing those stars featured on the cover. And there was no internet. Reading books and magazines was the only way to learn. I always wanted to be a people’s photographer. '' But Karthik has not forgotten his roots; he acknowledges the struggle that he believes has helped him climb the ladder step by step.

“Today we live in the world of internet but 20 years back it was a completely different world. There was no internet and you had to meet people real time. There was no scope for networking with people so easily as we do in this day.”

Chronicling his journey from Cumbum , a small town in Theni district in Tamil Nadu to metro Chennai, Karthik recalls, “I left Cumbum for Chennai with my sister and brother-in-law. Realising my potential, my brother-in-law took me to the Chennai film institute. But then again, destiny had in store for me something else. Seeing my 6 foot 3 inch frame, the principal of the institute thought I was there looking for some acting or modelling course.”

“The cinematography seats were all filled, only one seat was lying vacant for the modelling course and people already thought I fit the bill,” Karthik breaks into laughter as he says, “I do not know whether I am all that handsome!”

But there were no regrets and neither was there any looking back. “People used to compare me with Milind Soman back in the ’90s. I thought to give it a shot and I took up modelling.”

Karthik is ever grateful to director R.V. Udayakumar. He got his first break and the veteran director made a huge contribution to it. “He is like my uncle. It was he who took me to fashion choreographer Viba, holding whose hands I took my baby steps into the modelling world.  It was a fantastic ride which involved a lot of learning on the way along.  I got the opportunity to work with top models, choreographers, fashion designers in the country, apart from being a part of prestigious contest like Gladrags Manhunt.” Karthik would never rest on his laurels. “I used to wonder ‘what’s next what’s next?’…  Taking modelling as full-time career was difficult back then.” And that is when he hit upon the idea of working behind the scenes.  “During events, I used to observe the lights, the sounds, which only took my journey forward. I started up Dreamcast which is into production.  Any international filmmaker coming to India, we provide them with sets, props, models and actors and we get them the shoot permission as well…  We do the same for an Indian filmmaker going abroad.”

Dreamcast opened up plenty of avenues for Karthik. The photography guru has done grooming and workshops for hundreds of models over the last 15 years. Today, looking back at his journey which has always been on the ascending - thanks to all the right decisions at the right time and then leaving the rest to destiny, Karthik sends out a word of advice or two for all the aspiring photographers. “Back in the days we had to shoot with films, it was no cakewalk. I was one of those few lucky ones who got a break in the market and went ahead and have worked with the top actors in both Bombay and South.  Now it is a digital era. Instagram is there and there is so much demand for photos. Everybody is going online.  Opportunities are plenty. Aspirants can venture into wedding photography, event photography, advertising photography”.

The star photographer is not loath to sharing his hard-earned knowledge. Father of a photography school - KAPA K’s Academy of Photographic Arts, the celebrity photographer spills the beans about his success. “Patience is the key. Success cannot be achieved overnight.  I had to juggle between modelling, shoot coordination and production for the first five years.   For the last 15 years I have been working as a professional photographer.  It has taken me 20 years to be here. I advise people to take up photography as a career, but they need to start slowly.  One step up the ladder at a time!” The renowned photographer is now equally concentrating on his wedding photography company which he thinks is another career opportunity for many newcomers.