Balanathan "Balu" Mahendra (Tamil: பாலநாதன் மகேந்திரா) (born January 1, 1946 in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, and cinematographer widely regarded as part of the first in a wave of directors and screenwriters from the Chennai film industry who revitalised Tamil cinema. He initially developed an early interest in photography.
He graduated from the University of London, a cinematography graduate and a gold medalist fro...
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Balanathan "Balu" Mahendra (Tamil: பாலநாதன் மகேந்திரா) (born January 1, 1946 in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, and cinematographer widely regarded as part of the first in a wave of directors and screenwriters from the Chennai film industry who revitalised Tamil cinema. He initially developed an early interest in photography.
He graduated from the University of London, a cinematography graduate and a gold medalist from the FTII in Pune. He started his film career as a cameraman for the Malayalam film Nellu in 1974, which earned him the best cinematographer award from the Government of India. He has been chosen as the best cinematographer for as many as ten films. He pioneered innovative camera style for colour in South India.
Being a Tamilian, his first film as a director was Kokila, a Kannada film, which earned him a National Film Award. Azhiyatha Kolanagl (1979) was his first directorial venture in Tamil. He is considered as one of the few film makers in...
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