Gokul Benoy is elated with the response he’s been getting for Monster. A graduate of MGR Film Institute, Gokul started his career working under noted cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa. Despite working in films like Pannaiyarum Padminiyum and Oru Naal Koothu, it’s his work for Monster that got him a breakthrough. Excerpts from an interview:

What according to you defines cinematography? And how do you prepare the shot divisions for a film?

The ability to recreate the director’s vision or enhance the visual quality of a film is what cinematography is all about. Every time I listen to a script, I'll have a rough idea of the shot divisions. For Monster, we storyboarded all the scenes with a storyboard artist.

So, when Nelson Venkatesan shared the idea of Monster, were you able to process the visuals in your head?

Yes, I did. I was super impressed with the one-liner itself. Nelson was very particular about one thing: to not use CG (Computer Graphics) for the rat portion. He said, ‘If we don’t show a real rat, then the message is lost.’ I wanted to use probe lenses and the producers also okayed it. But it was quite expensive and we settled for macro lenses.

How difficult was it to shoot a real rodent?

We knew it was going to be challenging. Which is why we shot the rodent portions separately for 20 days. Most of these shots were candid and without any background. Then, we had to merge the rat sequences with the film’s actual scenes.

Wide or close-up, which was more difficult to shoot, considering that you were dealing with a living creature?

We didn’t have difficulty in shooting these sequences per se. Although it look a long time to shoot. We had marked different spots on the sets, when we were filming the rat. But, we were unsure if it would follow our command because rats, obviously, are unpredictable. Thankfully, we had three more rats for backup.

Was there a specific shot in Monster that gave you complete satisfaction?

Yes. It’s when the rodent comes out of the rat trap and drinks water. When I shot it, I didn’t feel anything. But when I watched the movie, it really moved me. It was a combination scene with SJ Suryah and the rat. We weren’t expecting it to come out and drink water. But it did. The rodent did the magic in that sequence. I owe everything to it.

What are your future projects?

As of now, I have Vanangamudi with Arvind Swami. The shooting has been wrapped and we're waiting for the release. I’ve been listening to scripts post Monster. Right now, I can’t divulge more details.