Balu Mahendra

Balu Mahendra, an ace cinematographer, and an exemplary director passed away in the year 2014 leaving a void in the film industry. He has mentored for several directors including Bala, Vetrimaaran, Ameer, Ram and Seenu Ramasamy. Balu Mahendra is an inspiration for Cinematographers like K.V.Anand, Santhosh Sivan, Ravi K Chandran and Nataraj aka Natty.

Being a cinematographer for more than 30 films and directing more than 20 films, Balu Mahendra started his film school “Cinema Pattarai” in Chennai offering courses for cinematography, direction and acting. He is extensively called as an ‘Auteur’, who wrote scripts and directed the film along with cinematography and editing for all his films. He was the recipient of six national awards and state awards from the governments of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

On this day we rewind his career in the industry with his best films.
1. Balu Mahendra tried hard to enter into Tamil cinema. He got his break in 1971 by making the debut as a cinematographer for the Malayalam film ‘Nellu’. He was then landed with lots of projects after this film.

2. His dream to direct a Tamil Cinema became true in the year 1978 when J.Mahendran directed the film ‘Mullum Malarum’. Balu Mahendra was signed in as cinematographer, But he also took part in direction, screenplay. He directed in the second venture ‘Azhiyadha Kolangal’.

3. After receiving critical reviews for his film, he then went on to direct many films. Balu Mahendra was known for his visuals which conveyed lots of emotions.

4. Balu Mahendra made several films later and the film ‘Moondram pirai’ starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi as the leads in the year 1982 won critically acclaimed reviews and it was a blockbuster hit which had 300 days run in the theaters.

5. After doing films with deep emotional connect, his film ‘Rettai Vaal Kuruvi’ (1987) was a complete comedy starring Mohan, Archana, and Radhika as the leads came as a surprise for everyone and Balu Mahendra proved his capability in giving a commercial entertainer.

6. His next films which won lots of accolades were ‘Veedu (1988)’ starring Archana and Bhanuchander as the leads and ‘Sandhya Raagam (1989)’ starring Chokkalinga Bhagavathar and Archana. ‘Veedu’ dealt with an urban woman of lower-middle class struggling to build a house while ‘Sandhya Raagam’ spoke about old age struggles. Both the films won National awards and Best film on Family welfare. Balu Mahendra paid tribute to his mother and father through these films.

7. ‘Rettai Vaal kuruvi’ served as the base for the movie ‘Sathi Leelavathy’ in 1995 starring Kamal Haasan, Kovai Sarala, Ramesh Aravind, Kalpana and Heera as the leads. The film was a laugh riot and won lots of appreciation and once again Balu Mahendra proved his ability.

8. ‘Julie Ganapathy (1995)’ was a psychological thriller starring Jayaram, Ramya Krishnan, and Saritha in lead roles. This film won good reviews and was received well among the audiences.

9. Balu Mahendra then directed television serial named ‘Kathai neram’ in the year 2000.

10. After a long gap, Balu Mahendra’s debut as an actor in ‘Thalamuraigal’ in the year 2013 was a hit. He was the director, cinematographer, and editor of the film. The whole film was shot in a still camera Canon EOS 5D. This film is about the relationship between an aged man and his grandson. It also won National award for Best film on National integration.

Balu Mahendra’s movie inspires each and every one in every point of their life. His films represent the lifecycle of human life. Though he left a void in the industry, his films are always an inspiration and guide for all the filmmakers.

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Balu Mahendra