Madhu Ambat is an Indian cinematographer. With a career spanning over 40 years, he is one of the most prolific cinematographers in

Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...

. He is best known for his work in films such as ''

Amaram ''Amaram'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam drama film directed by Bharathan and written by A. K. Lohithadas. It stars Mammootty, Maathu, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Ashokan, Murali, Chitra, and Kuthiravattam Pappu in the main roles. The film's score ...

'', '' Anjali'', and ''

Makaramanju ''Makaramanju'' ( en, The Mist of Capricorn, italic=yes) is a 2011 Malayalam language romantic drama film written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film is about celebrated painter Raja Ravi Varma's life at a certain stage in his life. It als ...

''. He currently resides in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

. He has won the

National Film Award for Best Cinematography The National Film Award for Best Cinematography is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards p ...

thrice. He is a member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC).

Personal life

Madhu Ambat was born on 6 March 1949 in Ernakulam to Ambat Sulochana and Prof K. Bhagyanath and he is the grandson of Ambat Sivarama Menon. He is a graduate and holds a diploma from the Film Institute of India, Poona, from where he graduated in 1973, securing a gold medal. Madhu's father, K. Bhagyanath, resigned as a Professor of English to be a full-time magician. Bhagyanath was also an amateur photographer. Bhagyanath and his wife Sulochana believed that one should take the profession one liked best. Madhu got admission in IIT and at the same time he selected in

Pune Film Institute The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a film institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India and aided by the Central Government of India. It is situated on the premises of the erstwhile ...

. Despite of all hindrances from the relatives, Madhu's parents allowed him to join in the Film institute, and he sustained the faith of his parents on him by achieving a gold medal at the institute. And all these helped Madhu take cinematography as his profession. Madhu, who started his career with a documentary for famous director Ramu Kariat, has been cinematographer for over 120 films. His younger sister is the renowned actress and dancer

Vidhubala Vidhubala is a former Indian actress who started her career in the mid-1960s and retired from the industry in 1981. She is well known for hosting the family reality show Kadhayallithu Jeevitham in Amrita TV spanning for 10 years.She has acted ...

Career

After graduating from the

, Madhu Ambat entered the film industry in 1973, photographing a documentary for

Ramu Kariat Ramu Kariat (1 February 1927 – 10 February 1979) was an Indian film director for almost three decades from the 1950s to the 1970s, who directed many acclaimed films in the Malayalam cinema. His noted films include '' Neelakkuyil'' (1954), '' ...

. In a career spread over 35 years, he has been the cinematographer for a number of notable films winning many awards. Ambat also heads a non-profit making research organization "Fantasia Centre for Research and Development of Cinema". This newly started organization strives to develop an atmosphere for research in cinema and to spread a film culture. In 2003, he completed ''1:1.6 An Ode to Lost Love'', his debut film as a director.

Filmography

*1975 - ''

Love Letter A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a lo ...

'' *1977 - ''

Njaaval Pazhangal ''Njavalppazhangal'' is a 1976 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by P. M. A. Azeez and produced by M. K. Kunhi Mohamed. The film stars Mohan Sharma, Vidhubala, Sukumari and Balan K. Nair in the lead roles. The film has musical score by ...

'' as Madhu-Shaji *1978 - '' Manushyan '' as Madhu-Shaji *1978 - ''Kudhira Motte '' *1978 - ''Nalegannu Maduvavaru'' *1978 - '' Prema Kama '' *1978 - '' Ithihasa '' *1978 - ''Saritha'' *1978 - '' Ashwathama'' *1978 - '' Yaro Oral'' *1979 - ''Hridhayathil Nee Mathram'' *1979 - ''Pichipoo '' *1980 - ''

Oppol ''Oppol'' ( en, italic=yes, Elder Sister) is a 1981 Malayalam-language drama film, produced by Rosamma George under the banner of JMJ Arts, directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film stars Balan K. Nair, Menaka ...

'' *1980 - '' Saraswathi Yaamam'' *1980 - '' Sooryante Maranum'' *1980 - ''Seetha'' *1982 - '' Lahari'' as Madhu-Shaji *1983 - ''

Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

'' *1983 - '' Phaniyamma'' *1984 - ''

Sandhya Mayangum Neram '' Sandhya Mayangum Neram'' () is a 1983 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Bharathan, written by John Paul and produced Boban Kunchakko. Starring Bharat Gopy, Sreenath, T. G. Ravi, Jayabharathy, Philomina and Unni Mary. Film critic ...

'' *1984 - ‘ ‘Swantham Sarika ‘’ *1986 - '' Tabarana Kathe'' *1986 - ''

Uppu ''Uppu'' ( ml, ഉപ്പ്, en, Salt, french: Le Sel) is a 1987 Indian Malayalam film, directed by V. K. Pavithran and written by K. M. A. Rahim. The film is about the atavistic Muslim practice of male polygamy. The film is entirely on t ...

'' *1987 - ''

Swathi Thirunal ( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള്‍ രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 40 ...

'' *1988 - '' Vaishali'' *1989 - ''

Vachanam Vachanam is a 1990 Malayalam movie directed by Lenin Rajendran. Starring: Jayaram, Suresh Gopi, Sithara, Charuhasan.The filim has musical score compossed by Mohan Sithara.This movie depict the mystery and workship. The movie is a perfect commerc ...

'' *1990 - '' Anjali'' *1990 - ''

Disha Disha is an Indian feminine Indian given name, given name. Notable people with the name include: *Disha Patani (born 1992/1993), Indian actress *Disha Parmar (born 1992), Indian actress and model *Disha Vakani (born 1978), Indian actress *Disha Ravi ...

'' *1990 - '' Sutradhaarulu'' *1991 - ''

'' *1992 - ''

Daivathinte Vikrithikal ''Daivathinte Vikrithikal'' () is a 1992 Malayalam-language film co-written and directed by Lenin Rajendran based on M. Mukundan's novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Alphonso, a man who chooses to suffer a slow, torturous lif ...

'' *1992 - ''

Praying with Anger ''Praying with Anger'' is a 1992 independent drama film directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who made his directorial debut. Shyamalan also wrote, produced, and starred in the film. It is about a young Indian American's return to India and explores ...

'' *1992 - '' Swaroopam'' *1993 - ''

Bhagvad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic '' Mahabharata'' (c ...

'' *1993 - '' Magrib'' *1993 - ''

Padheyam ''Patheyam'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Bharathan, based on a screenplay by A. K. Lohithadas. The film stars Mammootty and Chippy in lead roles, along with Nedumudi Venu, Sasikala, Bharat Gopy and Oduvil Unni ...

'' *1994 - ''

Nammavar ''Nammavar'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan and produced by B. Venkatarama Reddy. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Gautami, while Nagesh, Senthil, Kovai Sarala, Srividya and Karan play supporting ro ...

'' *1994 - ''

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intro ...

'' *1994 - ''Amodini'' *1997 - ''Churam'' *1997 - ''

Kulam Filipino witches are the users of black magic and related practices from the Philippines. They include a variety of different kinds of people with differing occupations and cultural connotations which depend on the ethnic group they are associat ...

'' *1997 - ''Bapa'' *1999 - '' Khoobsurat'' *1999 - '' Thammudu'' *2000 - '' Badri'' *2001 - ''

Lajja Lajja may refer to: * ''Lajja'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Taslima Nasrin * ''Lajja'' (2001 film), an Indian Hindi-language social drama film * ''Lajja'' (TV series), an Indian television series * Lajja Shankar Pandey, a fictional villain played ...

'' *2003 - '' Anyar'' *2003 - '' Chupke Se'' *2004 - ''

Chanakya Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य; IAST: ', ; 375–283 BCE) was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya o ...

'' *2004 - ''1:1.6 An Ode to Lost Love'' *2004 - ''Pravahi'' (Documentary short) *2005 - '' June R'' *2006 - ''

Aadum Koothu ''Aadum Koothu'' is a 2006 Tamil drama romance film directed by T. V. Chandran and starring Navya Nair, Cheran, Prakash Raj, Aari Arujunan, Seeman, and Manorama. The film premiered at the 37th International Film Festival of India in 2006 an ...

'' *2006 - '' Provoked: A True Story'' *2007 - '' Shoot on Sight'' *2007 - '' Sringaram'' *2008 - ''

Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam '' Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam'', is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film about a group of actors who attempt to prevent an underworld conspiracy from destabilizing the Indian government. The film is set in 1993 after the communal riots tha ...

'' *2009 - ''

Kerala Cafe ''Kerala Cafe'' is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language anthology film produced by Ranjith and directed by a team of ten directors including Lal Jose, Shaji Kailas, Anwar Rasheed, Shyamaprasad, B. Unnikrishnan, Revathy, Anjali Menon, M. Padmakuma ...

'' (segment "Makal") *2010 - ''

Graamam ''Gramam'' (''Namma Gramam'') is an Indian bilingual film written, directed and produced by actor-producer Mohan Sharma. It was simultaneously made in Malayalam and Tamil languages under the titles ''Gramam'' and ''Namma Gramam'', respectively. I ...

'' *2010 - ''

Hisss The Handheld Isothermal Silver Standard Sensor (HISSS) project was sponsored by DARPA in the 2000s to develop a hand-held sensor that is capable of identifying biological weapon threats across the entire spectrum including bacteria, viruses and tox ...

'' *2010 - ''

'' *2011 - ''

Adaminte Makan Abu ''Adaminte Makan Abu'' () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language social drama film written, directed and co-produced by Salim Ahamed. It stars Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab, with Mukesh, Kalabhavan Mani, Suraj Venjarammoodu, and Nedumudi Venu in ...

'' *2012 - '' Kalikaalam'' *2013 - ''

Kunjananthante Kada ''Kunjananthante Kada'' is a 2013 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Salim Ahamed. The film stars Mammootty in the titular role, as a shopkeeper, alongside debutante actress Nyla Usha while Salim Kumar and Balachandra Menon play other ...

'' *2013 - ''

Thee Kulikkum Pachai Maram ''Thee Kulikkum Pachai Maram'' is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language directed by duo M.Vineesh and M.Prabheesh, starring Prajin and Sarayu in lead roles. Cast *Prajin as Pandi *Sarayu as Chandrika * Nizhalgal Ravi * M. S. Bhaskar * T. P. Gajendran ...

'' *2014 - ''

Namma Gramam ''Gramam'' (''Namma Gramam'') is an Indian bilingual film written, directed and produced by actor-producer Mohan Sharma. It was simultaneously made in Malayalam and Tamil languages under the titles ''Gramam'' and ''Namma Gramam'', respectively. I ...

'' *2014 - ''

Sivappu ''Sivappu'' () is a 2015 Tamil language film directed by Sathyasiva and produced by Muktha Films and 'Punnagai Poo' Gheetha. Evoking the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India, the film stars Rajkiran, Naveen Chandra and ...

'' *2015 - ''

Pathemari Pathemari () is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language period drama film written and directed by Salim Ahamed and starring Mammootty in the lead role, with a supporting cast that includes Jewel Mary, Siddique, Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Shaheen Siddi ...

'' *2018 - '' Pani - Fever'' *2018 - '' And the Oscar Goes To...'' *2020 - ''Itlu Amma''

Awards

;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

* 1984: Best Cinematography - ''

Adi Sankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

'' (Sanskrit) * 2006: Best Cinematography - '' Sringaram'' (Tamil) * 2010: Best Cinematography - ''

'' (Malayalam) ;

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

* 1978: ''Aswathama'', ''Sooryante Maranam'' and '' Yaro Oral'' * 1987: ''Purushartham'', ''

'' * 1990: ''

'' * 2018: ''Pani'', ''And the Oscar Goes To'' ;

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

* 1990:

Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer The Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer winners was commissioned since 1977: References {{DEFAULTSORT:Nandi Award For Best Cinematographer Cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γρ ...

- '' Hrudayanjali'' ;

South Indian International Movie Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...

* 2012: SIIMA Award for Best Cinematographer - ''

'' ;

Asianet Film Awards The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...

* 2012: Best Cinematographer - ''

'' * 2013 -

Asiavision Awards Asiavision Awards have been held annually since 2006 to honor the artistes and technicians of Indian cinema and television & is organized under the leadership of renowned journalist Nissar Syed. More than 40,000 people across United Arab Emirates ...

- Best Cinematographer

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambat, Madhu Living people Best Cinematography National Film Award winners Kerala State Film Award winners Kannada film cinematographers 1949 births Tamil film cinematographers Film and Television Institute of India alumni Malayalam film cinematographers Film directors from Kochi Malayalam film directors 20th-century Indian film directors 21st-century Indian film directors 20th-century Indian photographers 21st-century Indian photographers Cinematographers from Kerala