Djordje Stojiljkovic: Each sub-world of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ deserved a distinct visual treatment

Belgrade-based cinematographer Djordje Stojiljkovic discusses his journey and the making of director Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan.

One morning, around 6am in Serbia, Djordje Stojiljkovic received a call from director Rajaram, with whom he had worked for Rani Rani Rani, a science fiction film. Belgrade-based Djordje is a cinematographer and visual effects artist with ad films, shorts, documentaries and features to his credit. He was told that a big production house from Telangana had enquired about him. “I then had a conversation with one of the main producers — Priyanka Dutt (of Vyjayanthi Films), followed by a discussion with the director (Nag Ashwin), Djordje recalls. “I reached out to Zoran, my gaffer and friend and asked him if he wanted to go with me to India. He thought I was joking. Soon, we were on a plane from Belgrade to Hyderabad.” The film he came to be a part of, is Kalki 2898 AD, the ambitious mythology-meets-science-fiction film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan.

Ahead of the film’s release on June 27, Djordje explains what went into its making. Edited excerpts from an email interview with The Hindu:

Before we discuss Kalki 2898AD, tell us briefly about your early interest in cinema. What inspired you to study photography and VFX in Belgrade? 

I grew up in Vlasotince in the south of Serbia, Europe. I was surrounded by video and photo equipment at a young age. My father is an Information Technologies teacher and also worked as an event photographer and cinematographer. I began working with him around the age of 10, using a VHS camera in the early 2000s. I quickly fell in love with photography and cinematography.

In addition, my brother and I would watch movies almost every night with our mother, which fuelled my passion for cinema. The internet allowed me to learn and upgrade my skills through photography and cinematography forums. The critical feedback I received from these communities was important in my growth. 

I began creating short amateur films with friends from school and basketball. Coming from a small town with few people interested in the field, I had to learn post-production processes on my own, including editing and the basics of VFX. My passion for creating something similar to what I saw on television drove me to continually improve my skills. My early projects also included making television-style documentaries capturing the day-to-day lives of my family. Later, I started doing music videos for local music bands, which allowed me to connect visual storytelling with audio. 

Before attending university, I had already edited videos for clients and created motion graphics, animations, and basic VFX work. Initially, I considered studying editing, but I am grateful that I chose to study cinematography in the camera department of the prestigious Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade. Throughout this journey, the support of my family was crucial.