Topic started by sk (@ 62.3.1.114) on Tue Nov 6 00:16:33 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Malayalam Kanda ettavum mikacha camera man balu mahendra aanu ennanu ente abhiprayam. your thoughts please !!

light off cheythu iruttathum, camera thala thirichu pidichum, camera lense il transperant color paper ottichum padam edukkunna santhosh sivane pole ullavarude idayil aanu balu mahendra yude prasakthi njan kaanunnathu....

Responses:

• From: Raghu (@ 164.164.142.12) on: Tue Nov 6 01:36:33
  
  can u give a detailed list of his films ? i know nellu,ulkkadal(or was it ramachandra babu?) etc was cranked by him.
  
  
• From: RJ (@ 203.199.72.210) on: Tue Nov 6 05:39:30
  
  Olangal was one lovely movie, directed too, by Balu Mahendra.
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Tue Nov 6 07:06:01
  
  Yaathra, Olangal, Nellu
  Azhiyatha Kolanagal, Moonram Pirai, Neengal Kettavai, Veedu, Sandhya Ragam
  
  
  Balu Mahendra is a cinematography graduate and a gold medallist from the Film and Television
  Institute in Pune.
  
  He started his film career as a cameraman for the Malayalam film Nellu in which got him the best cinematographer award from the Government of India.
  
  He has been chosen the best cinematographer for as many as ten films. His first film as a director was
  Kokila which earned him a National Award. Azhiyatha Kolanagl was his first directorial venture in Tamil. He is one of the few film makers in Tamil who can tell a story visually.
  
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 164.164.142.12) on: Tue Nov 6 11:02:07
  
  No sree,wht i meant was the films in which he handled the camera for malayalam films other than olangal and yatra.I dont think he won the national award 10 times.I think it was twice,one for moondram pirai and one for azhiyatha kolangal.
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Wed Nov 7 03:08:20
  
  raghu, actually i should rewrite the description from "Malayalam Kanda ettavum mikacha camera man" to India kanda ettavum mikacha camera man. anyway....
  all that i mentioned is cinematographed by balu.
  nellu, olangal, oomakkuyil, yaathra, and two or three Sobha heroine movies are the one that i know. Sadma (hindi) is also filmed by him.
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 164.164.142.12) on: Wed Nov 7 04:17:57
  
  Sadma was dubbed/remake of moondram pirai only and was directed by BM himself.
  IR/Gulzar/suresh wadkar's yeh zindagi gale laga le was in tht instead of poonkatru puthithanathu in moondram pirai.
  
  
  
• From: Unni (@ 63.236.79.235) on: Wed Nov 7 19:17:43
  
  Hi Guys , I agree that Balu Mahendra is a superb camera man and can be considered as tyhe best in India. But another person vying along with him is Madhu Ambatt. His I would say was also so fantastic, his best being Vaishaali.
  
  Balu Mahendra is a Srilankan Tamil. He was the person with whom late actress Shoba had the affair and she suicided because of that. His subsequent affairs are with Archana ( Veedu, Piravi) and then Mounika.
  
  A fantastic director I would say as I have seen his direction of scenes where he mixes his expertise in Photography with teh emotions on the faces of the actors.
  His best direction is MOONTRAAM PIRAI ( remade in Hindi as Sadma). Other famous hits are:
  Tamil:
  Moontraam Pirai
  Veedu
  Azhiyatha Kolangal
  Rettai Vaal Kuruvi ( remade in Malayalam as Paava Koothu)
  Un Kannil Neer Vadinthaal ( rajinikanth)
  Vanna Vanna Pookkal ( Prsanth, Mounika and Vinodhini)
  
  Malayalam Hits:
  Yathra
  Olangal
  Oomakuyil
  
  
• From: SAAGAR (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Thu Nov 8 08:44:10
  
  He was the cameraman for the evergreen "CHEMMEEN" too...
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Thu Nov 8 08:51:05
  
  from my memory:
  Sankarabharanam(cameraman)
  pallavi anu pallavi(1st movie of maniratnam)
  neengal kaettavai(dir&cam)
  un kannil neer vazhinthaal(dir&cam)
  moodupani(dir&cam)
  Sathi leelavathi(dir&cam)
  Mullum malarum(camera)
  kannae kalaimaanae(dubbed to tam from tel)
  Johny(tamil-cam)
  
  
  
  
• From: vibhu (@ dialpool-210-214-145-44.maa.sify.net) on: Thu Nov 8 09:01:07
  
  Chemmeen was by Marcus Bartley.
  
  I may agree that Balu Mahendra is the best photgrapher Malaylam has seen. But cinematography is some thing different . Malayalam has produce many better cinematographers. Venu was the first Keralite to work for BBC. His works in Padmarajan KG. George and Fazil films were excellent. Shaji's works in Aravindan movies, Madhu ambatt's works in Vaishali etc were also equally good.
  
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Thu Nov 8 09:08:11
  
  Are u sure?
  im sure that it was
  balu mahendra.
  
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 164.164.142.12) on: Fri Nov 9 03:22:34
  
  It was marcus bartley!!!
  
  
• From: SAAGAR (@ 61.1.228.9) on: Fri Nov 9 05:42:13
  
  sorry,then.
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Sun Nov 11 02:49:28
  
  venu, madhu ambattu, shaji en karun aarum mosam aanu ennu njan parayunnilla. pakshe avarekkal oru padi koodi munnil nilkkunna aalanu balu mahendra ennanu ente abhiprayam.
  
  
• From: Unni (@ dsl-64-192-247-33.telocity.com) on: Mon Nov 12 08:32:11
  
  Chemmeen: sure it is Bartley- 100% sure.
  In my opinion, Madhu Ambattu and Balu Mahendra are the top. Venu is good. Watch Namukku Paarkaan Munthiri thoppukal where he was awarded the National award. There when the closeups in the vineyards are taken, the bunches fade and they do not come out that good.
  I was really shocked when Madhu Ambattu was not awarded the prize for vaishaali as I would say that no other film can beat it in India. its equivalent I would say was BENHUR. Then I heard that it was the result of some stupid political interventions ( just like how Amitabh was given the award for the stupid crap. Agneepath).
  
  
• From: SAAGAR (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Wed Nov 14 00:31:01
  
  Balu Mahendra's old movies.Even if we see it now the visuals look so good and fresh. In his frames even an ordinary tree or plant or flower looks greater than life.And even ordinary looking heroines like Shoba(Moodupani,Azhiyaatha Kolangal)
  Archana looked terrific.
  But except for Moondram Pirai and Veedu I dont like many of his movies.
  
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Wed Nov 14 00:32:34
  
  correction-"many of his movies=many of his directed movies"
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Wed Nov 14 01:30:04
  
  yeah sagar, we are talking only about his cinematography.
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Wed Nov 14 02:14:49
  
  but i think i was talking abt his camerawork.
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Wed Nov 14 05:00:24
  
  yeah u r right , both are same.
  
  
• From: Vince (@ a050-0914.chcg.splitrock.net) on: Wed Nov 14 18:05:25
  
  Chemmeenile pulli foreign aano? pulliyude name kandittu athu poole thoonni, also he had a helper too. pakshe oru vidheshikku athra manoharamayi malayala cinemakku camera work cheyyan pattumoo??
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Thu Nov 15 04:08:35
  
  I think Marcus Partley had worked for some Tamil Black &White Movies.Yes he is a foreigner.
  More info pls....
  
  
• From: anu (@ 203.200.144.141) on: Thu Nov 15 08:42:33
  
  Who was the cinematographer of the movie 'pandu pandoru Rajakumari'(something like that) starring Jagadeesh and Anju?
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.239.106) on: Sat Nov 17 02:24:46
  
  It was directed by Viji Thampy...no idea on the cameraman.Why specific on it?so good?
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 202.9.189.22) on: Sat Nov 17 07:21:51
  
  vipin mohan, i think!!below average film!!
  
  
• From: sree (@ 62.3.1.114) on: Tue Nov 20 03:19:31
  
  anu, why did you ask about the cameraman of the PP Rajakumari...
  
  
• From: saagar (@ 202.88.234.230) on: Tue Nov 20 08:20:48
  
  I think it was Santhosh Sivan ..hope so.
  
  
• From: Divya (@ dhcp024-210-071-225.columbus.rr.com) on: Tue Nov 4 21:06:52
  
  Who is the non malayalee looking guy in "nellu" ?
  Is he north indian?
  
  
• From: sudheer (@ lobby204.lib.ucf.edu) on: Tue Nov 4 22:54:40 EST 2003
  
  thodangi.. divya veendum.which guy?? ... Hero of "Nellu" was Mohan.. Mohan Sharma.. actress lakshmi's husband.. he was a very popular actor in malayalam during mid and late 70's.. Prem Nazir also acted in that movie.. i dont know anyone else whom u are refering??
  
  
• From: kunal c john (@ 203-195-203-203.now-india.net.in) on: Thu May 27 10:42:52
  
  he is the same guy who is responsible for the death of the great actress LEKHA , isnt it ??
  tht mother ****er must be hanged . he is just an ordinary cinematographer who is hugely overrated.
  
  

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