february commonly known cinematographer director screenwriter film editor worked indian film industries primarily tamil cinema born tamil household developed passion photography literature young age drawn film making witnessing shoot bridge river sri_lanka graduate started career gaining admission pursue course cinematography entered films cinematographer early 1970s gradually rose film maker end decade making directorial debut film films south indian languages hindi earliest film makers tamil cinema introduce realism helped industry tail end career established film school offers courses cinematography direction acting following brief phase poor health died cardiac arrest february widely regarded wrote script films handled camera edited film apart directing recipient national film awards including awards south state awards governments early life born tamil family village near sri_lanka born professor father schooling teenager drawn films class teacher time happened bicycle thieves sixth grade got opportunity witness making bridge river shot sri_lanka school field trip inspired lean personality determined film maker right childhood interested fine arts literature completion school joined graduated bachelor degree honours science graduation returned sri_lanka worked survey department brief period edited tamil literary magazine titled worked amateur drama artist got acquainted theatre groups passion cinema prompted leave india join film television institute india cinematography gain disciplines institute exposed world cinema got opportunity watch films associated french new wave movement graduated institute gold medal film career debut cinematographer fresh graduate early attempts enter tamil cinema unsuccessful got break cinematographer film director impressed view fortress diploma film filming began production delays postponed release years signed film titled released got released release continued work films shot colour won released continued successes films state award best photography second consecutive time worked films cinematographer following year directorial debut film triangular love story addition best screenplay award government won national film award best cinematography film film critically acclaimed commercially successful equally successful neighbouring state distinction film complete days madras entry tamil films despite tamil worked tamil film signed cinematographer directorial debut apart handling cinematography involved aspects casting editing direction film completing decided work second directorial venture time tamil named film according partly autobiographical inspired american film summer coming age film dealt story adolescent boys awakening sexuality controversial theme box office success time cinematography telugu film turned major critical commercial success film director loosely based film saw collaborating time regular composer lead film told story school teacher looks girl suffering amnesia day run theatres labelled blockbuster film national film awards including award cinematography year marked directorial debut inspired novel man woman child film critical success end year won trophies directing entered hindi cinema remake reprising roles received nomination known director hindi audience film year worked cinematographer film debut film time second film titled unlike failed create impact audience mainstream cinema art film genre mid 1980s concentrated mainstream films labelled outright commercial picture later noted film sole intention prove critics commercial films following year collaborated turned commercial failure worked film lead role forest officer artistic values film earned million equivalent million highest grossing film year time declined offer direct film director known making intense films critics surprised length comedy film closely based american film film regarded best comedies tamil cinema decade film serve base future films explored similar themes end decade low films focused life lower middle class urban woman struggle build house dealt old age 35th won national film awards including won best film family welfare years later according films tribute mother father respectively named films best works fewest mistakes produced film day run won award best regional film 39th national film awards time night newcomer approached cinematographer directorial debut praying anger refused year remade tamil film felt close personal life came length comedy produced following year comeback bollywood remake film remake film deals friendship friends belonging different religions film shoot dispute arose reported members stopped filming engaging outside cast members film led indefinite strike affected delaying tamil films film received negative reviews failed box office took break films television series based different short stories aired early 2000s final years following year returned film based psychological thriller novel misery according lines previous films review stated kept flag sensible cinema commercial format latest offering rated film best spite critical success film turned commercial failure film decided cast lead role initially stated film extension film ended making different film film loosely based film released asked difference films said love story adults love story wrote film extremely disappointing started film school named cinema institute offers courses disciplines cinematography direction acting brief hiatus films comeback marked acting debut apart acting scripted directed edited served cinematographer film film relationship man grandson film received positive response acting acclaimed hindu stated aim film compete global level concrete step direction despite critically acclaimed film commercial failure 61st national film awards won award best feature film national integration personal life married married son relationship actress ended committed suicide following marriage death media speculated suicide added responsible death case filed illegally staying india suffered months imprisonment illegal immigration court months dismissed plea saying stay enriched tamil culture significant contributions tamil cinema following wrote series sentimental tamil magazine title relationship later explored film flashback director film released interview said film discussed george married actress declared marriage publicly following heart attack february admitted declared dead hours cardiac arrest shortly news death members indian film industry posted twitter facebook tamil film fraternity death paid homage film school decided work following day sign respect rites performed day style legacy photographer inspired works french new wave contemporaries admired works believed photographed movie close script film maker claims belonging realistic way story telling devised drawn realistic cinema watching ray credited earliest filmmakers bring tamil cinema 1970s usually photographed scripted edited films films characterised strong visual appeal minimal number characters majority films centre complexity human relationships known portray women strong characters influenced realism films heavily borrowed american cinema equally praised cinematography directorial described media finest indian cinema pioneer innovative colour cinematographer ray presented acknowledging talent fellow cinematographer described gave fame came noted film makers effectively romantic realism lauded usage natural lighting considered filmmakers tamil believes telling story visually described directors balanced art popular cinema film maker inspired contemporary actors film makers generation film makers including ram like taken inspirations acclaimed films lost awards nominations filmography director cinematographer television
Balu Mahendra