M. J. Radhakrishnan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. J. Radhakrishnan
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| Born |
M. J. Radhakrishnan
Punalur, Kollam
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| Died | 12 July 2019 Trivandrum, India
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| Other names | MJR |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1988–2019 |
M. J. Radhakrishnan was a famous Indian cinematographer who worked mostly on films made in the Malayalam language. A cinematographer is the person who is in charge of the camera and lighting during a movie. They decide how each scene looks on screen.
M. J. Radhakrishnan won many important awards for his work. He received the National Film Award in 2018 for his excellent work on the Malayalam movie Oolu. He also won the Kerala State Award for Best Cinematography 7 times. This is a record, shared with another great cinematographer, Mankada Ravi Varma.
Before becoming a cinematographer, he worked as a still photographer. He also learned a lot from the famous cinematographer and director Shaji N. Karun. Some of his well-known films include Deshadanam (1996), Karunam (1999), Naalu Pennungal (2007), Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2010), and Akasathinte Niram (Color of Sky; 2012).
His films were shown at many big film festivals around the world. These include festivals in Cannes, Shanghai, and Toronto. One of his films, Marana Simhasanam (meaning "Throne of Death", 1999), won a special award called the Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera Award) at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Another film, Veyilmarangal (Trees under the sun), won the Golden Goblet award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2019.
M. J. Radhakrishnan worked on over 117 feature films and many documentaries. He collaborated with famous Indian filmmakers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shaji N. Karun. He was known for his unique style of using natural light in his films. He often worked on arthouse films, which are movies made for artistic reasons rather than just for entertainment. Throughout his career, he helped many young filmmakers with their first movies. His last completed film as a cinematographer was Kalamandalam Hyderali in 2019.
Contents
Early Life
M. J. Radhakrishnan was born in a place called Tholicode, which is in Punalur, Kollam district, Kerala. From a young age, he was very interested in photography. This passion later led him to a career in filmmaking.
Career Highlights
M. J. Radhakrishnan started his career as a still photographer. He took photos for films where Shaji N Karun was the main cinematographer. Later, he became an assistant to Shaji N Karun, who greatly influenced his work.
His first movie as an independent cinematographer was Maamalakalkkapurathu (1988), directed by Ali Akbar. He continued to work on many films, becoming known for his special way of using light. His final completed film as a cinematographer was Kalamandalam Hyderali in 2019.
Selected Films
Here is a list of some of the films M. J. Radhakrishnan worked on:
- 1988 Mamalakalkkappurathu
- 1996 Oru Neenda Yathra
- 1996 Desadanam
- 1997 Kaliyattam
- 1997 Raajathanthram
- 1999 Marana Simhasanam
- 1999 Karunam
- 2001 Pattiyude Divasam
- 2001 Theerthadanam
- 2002 Kannaki
- 2003 Parinamam
- 2003 Ek Alag Mausam
- 2003 Sthithi
- 2004 The Journey
- 2004 Koottu
- 2005 Makalkku
- 2006 Pulijanmam
- 2007 Thakarachenda
- 2007 Naalu Pennungal
- 2007 Ottakkayyan
- 2008 Gulmohar
- 2008 Oru Pennum Randaanum
- 2008 Thirakkatha
- 2008 Vilapangalkkappuram
- 2009 Samayam
- 2009 Dr. Patient
- 2009 Orkkuka Vallappozhum
- 2009 Kerala Cafe (segment "Happy Journey")
- 2009 Madhyavenal
- 2010 Nirakazhcha
- 2010 Punyam Aham
- 2010 Veettilekkulla Vazhi
- 2011 Orma Mathram
- 2011 Sengadal
- 2011 Akasathinte Niram
- 2013 Papilio Buddha
- 2014 Perariyathavar
- 2015 Birds With Large Wings
- 2015 Ottaal
- 2016 Pinneyum
- 2016 Kaadu Pookkunna Neram
- 2016 Shaanu
- 2017 Painting Life
- 2017 Viswasapoorvam Mansoor
- 2018 Oolu
- 2018 A for Apple
- 2018 Appuvinte Sathyanweshanam
- 2019 Netaji
- 2019 Veyilmarangal (Trees under the sun)
- 2019 Makudi
- 2019 Kalamandalam Hyderali
- 2019 Ashtamudi Couples
- 2019 A for Apple
Awards and Recognition
M. J. Radhakrishnan won many awards for his outstanding cinematography.
Kerala State Film Awards
He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Photography seven times:
- 1996: For Deshadanam
- 1999: For Karunam
- 2007: For Adayalangal and Ottakkayyan
- 2008: For Bioscope
- 2010: For Veettilekkulla Vazhi
- 2011: For Akasathinte Niram
- 2016: For Kaadu Pookkunna Neram
National Film Awards
- 2018: He received the National Film Award for Best Cinematography for the film Olu.
Kerala State Television Awards
- 2014: He won Best Cinematographer for the TV show Thamaranoolu.
International Awards
He also received several awards from film festivals around the world:
- 2008: South Asian International Film Festival - Best Cinematographer for Bioscope
- 2011: Zanzibar International Film Festival - SIGNIS Award for Cinematography for Veettilekkulla Vazhi
- 2013: Oaxaca FilmFest - Outstanding achievement in Cinematography for Papilio Buddha
- 2015: Kazan International Film Festival, Russia - Best Cinematographer for Perariyathavar
- 2016: Indian International Film Festival Queensland, Australia - Best Cinematographer for Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal
- 2017: Indian International Film Festival Queensland, Australia - Best Cinematographer for Sound of Silence (2017 film)
- 2017: Cincinnati Indian International Film Festival, Ohio, USA - Best Cinematographer for Painting Life
