Director of Photography · Chennai, India

BharathwajNarayanan

Light is not what I chase — it is how I think. Every frame a decision. Every shadow a deliberate choice.

10+Years of Craft
85+Episodes Shot
Frames Composed
Bharathwaj Narayanan Cinematography
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A Frame
Tells Truth

I believe cinematography is not about the scale of the project, but the sincerity of the frame.

Born with a quiet fascination for images, light, and the emotion a frame can carry, Bharathwaj's journey began at Gemini Studios — one of India's most storied production institutions — where he built his technical foundation working across multi-language Pan-India productions as a Digital Imaging Technician.

In 2017, he stepped onto the sets of Vivegam as an Assistant Cinematographer under the legendary DoP Vetri Palanichami. What followed were formative years on Tamil cinema's biggest productions — Viswasam, Kanchana 3 — before he pivoted into the sharp, fast-paced world of brand and commercial filmmaking, where he spent five years honing a different kind of visual precision.

Today, working independently as a Cinematographer, he crafts visual identities for brands like Pothys, The Chennai Silks, and IOB, while having served as DP for Hotstar's Uppu Puli Karam. His craft spans features, OTT series, advertising, and government campaigns — each treated with equal sincerity.

Career Timeline
Pre-2017
Digital Imaging Technician at Gemini Studios. Multi-language Pan-India productions. Foundation in colour science, camera systems & digital cinema workflows.
2017
Assistant Cinematographer on Vivegam under DoP Vetri Palanichami. Ajith Kumar. Multi-country, high-octane action epic.
2018–2019
Viswasam & Kanchana 3. Two of the biggest Tamil films of their year. Visual discipline across genre and scale.
2019–2023
Associate Cinematographer in Brand & Commercial Cinema. Advertising, TVCs, corporate films, OTT digital content across South India.
2024
Director of Photography — Hotstar's Uppu Puli Karam Season 1, Episodes 44–128. Long-format OTT visual storytelling.
2025 — Present
Independent Cinematographer. Pothys · The Chennai Silks · IOB · Government & Corporate Campaigns. Pan-India.
Expertise

What I
Bring

01
Feature Film

Forged on the sets of Tamil cinema's most ambitious productions. I understand scale, continuity, and the visual language of narrative cinema — how to serve a director's vision with discipline and craft.

VivegamViswasamKanchana 3
02
OTT & Series

85 episodes of Hotstar's Uppu Puli Karam as DP taught me what long-format demands: visual consistency, stamina, and the discipline of tonal continuity across months of production.

HotstarLong-FormatSeries DP
03
Brand & Commercial

Five years in advertising sharpened a different precision — translating a brand's identity into a 60-second visual world. Beauty, lifestyle, product, corporate: every format demands its own light.

TVCsBrand FilmsCorporate
04
Digital Imaging

Trained as a DIT at Gemini Studios, I speak the language of colour science fluently. I oversee end-to-end imaging workflows — from on-set LUT design to DI supervision in post.

DITColor ScienceDI Supervision
05
Government & Institutional

Executing public communication campaigns for government and banking sectors requires a visual language of clarity, dignity, and trust. I have done it, and I do it well.

IOBGovt. FilmsInstitutional
06
Multi-Language

From Tamil to Kannada, my work crosses linguistic and cultural borders within India. Gemini Studios trained me to think Pan-Indian from day one. I adapt. I listen. I shoot.

TamilKannadaPan-India
Selected Work

The
Filmography

From Tamil cinema's flagship productions to Hotstar originals and national brand campaigns.

Commercial Work

Commercial
Reels

Worked as Asst. Cinematographer
Movie Poster
2:3 ratio
02
Vivegam
2017 · Feature Film · Action · Dir. Siva · Starring Ajith Kumar · DoP: Vetri Palanichami
Asst. Cinematographer
Movie Poster
2:3 ratio
03
Viswasam
2019 · Feature Film · Family Drama · Dir. Siva · Starring Ajith Kumar & Nayanthara
Asst. Cinematographer
Kanchana 3
Movie Poster
2:3 ratio
04
Kanchana 3
2019 · Feature Film · Horror-Comedy · Dir. Raghava Lawrence
Asst. Cinematographer
Brands I Worked With
2025
Pothys
Brand Film · Kannada Market
2025
The Chennai Silks
Brand Film · Retail Campaign
IOB Logo · PNG/SVG
2025
IOB
Institutional Campaign · Indian Overseas Bank
Govt & Corporate Logo · PNG/SVG
2025
Govt. & Corporate
Multiple Government & Corporate Campaigns
On Set

Behind
the Lens

A glimpse into the world behind the frame — on set, between takes, where the real craft happens.

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01 / 10
The Lens Looks Back

"Give a storyteller a lens, and the story will find its light. Whether the canvas is large or small, I approach every frame with the same curiosity, discipline, and respect for the craft. Because at the end of the day, it's not about the camera you hold — it's about how you see."

— Bharathwaj Narayanan, Cinematographer

Start a
Conversation

Available for feature films, OTT series, advertising, brand films, and government campaigns across India and internationally. Every project begins with a conversation.

Based In Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Available For Pan-India & International Projects
Specialisation Features · OTT · Brand & Commercial Cinema