Ramachandra Babu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
K. Ramachandra Babu
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| Born | 15 December 1947 Maduranthakam, Tamil Nadu, India
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| Died | 21 December 2019 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Loyola College, Chennai FTII |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1971–2019 |
| Spouse(s) | K. Lathika Rani |
| Relatives | Ravi K. Chandran (brother) |
| Awards | Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography 1976 – Dweep 1978 – Rathinirvedam 1980 – Chamaram 1989 – Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha |
K. Ramachandra Babu (born December 15, 1947 – died December 21, 2019) was a famous Indian cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of the camera and lighting on a film set. They decide how the movie looks on screen. Ramachandra Babu worked on over 125 films, mostly in the Malayalam film industry. He also worked on films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Arabic, and English. Besides movies, he filmed many documentaries and advertisements. He was also the person who started the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC).
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Early Life and Film School
K. Ramachandra Babu was born on December 15, 1947, in Maduranthakam, a town in Tamil Nadu, India. His parents were from Alappuzha, Kerala. After finishing his science degree (B.Sc. in Chemistry) at Loyola College, Chennai in 1966, he decided to study filmmaking. He joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune to learn cinematography.
At FTII, he became friends with other students who would later become well-known film directors, like Balu Mahendra and K.G. George. He earned his diploma in film photography in 1971.
Starting His Film Journey
Ramachandra Babu began his career as a cinematographer in 1971. His first feature film was Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile. This movie was also the first for its director, John Abraham.
He became well-known in the film world after working on Nirmalyam (1973) and Swapnadanam (1976). These films were the first for their directors, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and K.G. George. All these early films were shot in classic black and white.
Bringing New Film Technology to India
Ramachandra Babu was a key person in bringing new technologies to Malayalam cinema. His first film shot in colour film was Dweepu (1977). This film won him his first Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography. He went on to win three more State Awards for Rathinirvedam (1978), Chamaram (1980), and Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha (1989).
He also worked on the first CinemaScope film made in South India, called Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum (1979). CinemaScope is a special way of filming that makes the picture much wider than usual. He was also the cinematographer for Padayottam (1982), which was the first Malayalam film released in 70 mm film. This format made the picture very clear and allowed for special stereo sound.
Some of his other important films include:
- Nirmalyam (1973) – This film won a National Award for Best Feature Film.
- Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1978) – This Tamil film won a National Award for Best Tamil Film.
- Yavanika (1982) and Marmaram (1982) – Both won Kerala State Best Film Awards.
- Pagal Nilavu (1985) – A Tamil film directed by the famous Mani Ratnam.
- Kanmadam (1998) – A popular Malayalam film.
Awards and Recognition
Ramachandra Babu received many awards for his excellent work in cinematography:
- Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography
- 1976 – Dweepu
- 1978 – Rathinirvedam
- 1980 – Chamaram
- 1989 – Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha
- He also won awards from various film magazines and associations, such as the Cinema Masika Award, Kerala Film Critics Award, and the Nana Film Weekly Award.
- In 2008, he received the SICA Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognized his long and successful career in cinema.
Images for kids
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Ramachandra Babu with an Arriflex 535 B camera while filming Beyond the Soul.
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Screenwriter Lohithadas and director Bharathan with Ramachandra Babu on the set of Venkalam.
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Ramachandra Babu with writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair.
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Ramachandra Babu with actors Mammootty and Saiju Kurup.
