At 24, he calls the shots

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Barely in his early twenties , and he is already a professional steadicam cinematographer, having bagged as many as 17 ad-commercials and a string of Hindi films, including Balaji Films'' <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Kucch To Hain</span>, Farhan Akhtar''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lakshya </span>and Ravi Chopra''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Baghban</span>.And when he is not wielding the camera for brands like Motorola, Samsung, Idea and Fair & Lovely, he handles the percussion and plays the bass for rock band Rudra. That''s Shell Colony boy Vinayak Radhakrishnan for you.<br /><br />A science graduate from Ruia College, Vinayak did a photography course from the Indo-American Society while he was still in college. While his friends were busy attending socials and discos, he used to run to the studios to assist cinematographers and understand the art of filmmaking. "My serious venture into film-making was when I took up a course in cinematography at the Vikshi Institute of Media Studies in Pune," says Vinayak. <br /><br />After learning the basics from A S Kanal, the former professor of the Camera Department at FTII, Pune, Vinayak went off to Toronto, Canada, where he took up a Steadicam course from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). "In Canada, I was fortunate to be trained under Paul Taylor, who is recognised as one of the top steadicam cinematographer in Hollywood," says Vinayak. <br /><br />Not only did he successfully complete the course, but he also received the "best student award". Making the most of the opportunity to gain international exposure, Vinayak worked on a handful of music videos, short films, commercials and feature films as first steadicam assistant with Jeremy Benning, another big name in the business. <br /><br />Little wonder, he had a career waiting for him back home in Mumbai. Ever since he returned, Vinayak has had his hands full, wielding the steadicam for scores of commercials and feature films. From a few shots in Ravi Chopra''s Amitabh-Hema Malini starrer <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Baghban</span> to Nabh Kumar Raju''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain</span>, which is being shot entirely on steadicam, Vinayak is today recognised among the top steadicam operators in Bollywood. "With Bollywood increasingly relying on slick production values and top-of-the-line technicians, steadicam is not just the flavour of the month, but an essential tool of film-making," says the young man with a promising future behind the camera.</div> </div>