Cinematographer-Filmmaker KV Anand Passes Away At 54

Acclaimed cinematographer filmmaker KV Anand passed away in the wee hours of Friday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 54. Anand was one of the very few personalities in Tamil cinema to taste success in more than one role. His work as cinematographer and director were celebrated equally by the audience.

Beginning his career as a photojournalist, Anand won a National Award for his very first film as a cinematographer, Thenmavin Kombathu, starring Mohanlal and directed by Priyadarshan. He was lauded for capturing the vivid, lively colours of nature without resorting to the use of artificial lights. Before starting out on his own, Anand had assisted PC Sreeram in films like Amaran, Thevara Magan and Thiruda Thiruda.

Following his National Award win, Anand made his Tamil debut with Kathir’s Kadhal Desam in 1996. He impressed once again, this time through the challenging task of elegant framing of many impossibly busy locations in Chennai, including Mount Road and the Gemini flyover. The song, ‘Mustafa Mustafa’, from this film was a national sensation at the time and benefitted from Anand’s visual sense.