Other names MJR Years active 1988–present | Occupation Cinematographer Other name MJR | |
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Full Name M. J. Radhakrishnan Awards Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography Movies Pinneyum, Kaadu Pookkunna Neram, Ottaal, Color of Sky, Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal Similar Bijukumar Damodaran, Prakash Bare, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Jayan K Cherian, Joshy Mangalath | ||
M. J. Radhakrishnan is an award winning Indian cinematographer working mainly in Malayalam films. Recently completed his first Telugu film directed by K. N. T. Sastry titled SHAANU produced by CFSI (Children's Film Society of India. He has won Kerala State Award for Best Cinematography 6 times, second only to Mankada Ravi Varma. Earlier he worked as a still photographer and then as an associate to renowned cinematographer turned director Shaji N. Karun. His important works include Deshadanam, Karunam and Naalu Pennungal. His films have been screened at several prominent film festivals around the world including Cannes, Toronto, Chicago, Rhode Island and Rotterdam. One of his works, Marana Simhasanam (English: Throne of Death, French: Le Trone de la mort), won Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera Award) in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. He has worked for over 75 feature films and several documentaries and has worked with some of the prominent Indian film makers including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Murali Nair, Shaji N. Karun, TV Chandran, Dr. Biju, Jayaraj and Renjith. He mostly works on arthouse films and is known for his natural lighting styles.In a career spanning more than two decades, he has worked with a number of young film makers, mostly in their maiden ventures.
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Early life
M. J. Radhakrishnan was born in Tholikode, Punalur located in Kollam district, Kerala. MJR was very passionate about photography in his teenage days.
Career
M. J. Radhakrishnan started his career as a still photographer, and worked as event photographer in marriages and functions. Later he shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. He worked in the still photography sections in certain films in which Shaji N Karun was the cinematographer. Then he started working as an associate cinematographer under Shaji N Karun, who was a major influence in his life. His first independent work as a cinematographer was Maamalakalkkapurathu, directed by Ali Akbar, which was released in 1988.