K. Ramachandra Babu (15 December 1947 – 21 December 2019) was an Indian

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

of over 125 films, out of which most are

Malayalam films Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam ...

. He also worked for films in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

languages. He served as the cinematographer for several documentaries and advertisement films as well. He was the founder of the

Indian Society of Cinematographers Indian cinematographers work in a number of regional film centres: Chennai, India, Chennai for Tamil language, Tamil films, Mumbai for films in Marathi language, Marathi and Hindi, Hyderabad, India, Hyderabad for films in Telugu language, Telugu ...

(ISC).

Early life and career

Ramachandra Babu was born on 15 December 1947 in Maduranthakam at Chengalpattu District,

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, as the eldest son of Malayali parents, Kunjan Pillai and Padmini Amma, both from Alleppey

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

. After obtaining his B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from Loyola College,

Madras 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 ...

in 1966, he went on to join the

Film and Television Institute of India 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 ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

to study cinematography. In the Institute, he made friends with Balu Mahendra, John Abraham and K.G. George, who would go on to become noted film directors. He obtained his Diploma in Cinema (Motion Picture Photography) in 1971. He made his feature film debut in 1971 as a cinematographer even before completing his FTII course, for

Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile ''Vidhyarthikale Ithile Ithile'' is a 1972 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by John Abraham in his debut. It is based on the French film '' Nous les gosses'' (1941). The film stars Madhu, Jayabharathi, Adoor Bhasi and Paul Vengola ...

. It was also the debut film of director John Abraham and writer Azad. Ramachandra Babu became noted in the industry after he served as the cinematographer for Nirmalyam (1973) and

Swapnadanam ''Swapnadanam'' ( ml, സ്വപ്നാടനം, en, Journey Through a Dream) is a 1976 black-and-white Malayalam-language film that marks the directorial debut of K. G. George. A marital psychodrama, it rejected all the usual song-dance nu ...

(1976), which were directorial debuts of M.T. Vasudevan Nair and K.G. George, respectively. All these films were shot in

Black & White Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

Later career

Ramachandra Babu's first colour film ( Eastman Color) was '' Dweepu'' (1977), directed by Ramu Kariat, and it won him his first Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography. He went on to win 3 more State Awards for ''Rathinirvedam'' (1978) and '' Chamaram'' (1980), directed by

Bharathan Bharathan (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) was an Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan and K. G. George, in the ...

, and ''

Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...

'' (1989), directed by Hariharan. He played a prominent role in ushering in the technical advancements in cinematography into Malayalam cinema. The transition from Black & White to colour aside, he served as the cinematographer for the first

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

film to be shot in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...

, ''Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum'' (1979), directed by

I. V. Sasi Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1947 – 24 October 2017), better known as I. V. Sasi, was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C ...

. Despite featuring major stars like

Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali f ...

Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...

and

Jayabharathi Jayabharathi is an Indian actress. She is a two-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award for best actress. Jayabharathi's first leading role was given by director P. Bhaskaran for his movie Kattukurangu in 1969. Later she became one of ...

, the film was delayed and another CinemaScope film '' Thacholi Ambu'' (1978) was released ahead of it, leaving the latter to be considered as the first CinemaScope film in South India. He was the cinematographer of the first film to be released with

70 mm film 70 mm film (or 65 mm film) is a wide high-resolution film gauge for motion picture photography, with a negative area nearly 3.5 times as large as the standard 35 mm motion picture film format. As used in cameras, the film is wid ...

in Malayalam. The film, '' Padayottam'' (1982), directed by Jijo Punnoose, was from the production house of ''Thacholi Ambu'', Navodaya. The film was photographed in CinemaScope format and was converted to 70 mm blow-up prints with 6-track magnetic stereo sound during post-production. His noted films include '' Nirmalyam'' (1973 – National Award For Best Feature Film, directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair), ''

'' (1975 – Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, directed by K. G. George), '' Bandhanam'' (1978 – Kerala State Best Film, directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair), '' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (1978 – Best Tamil Film – National Award, directed by John Abraham), '' Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu'' directed by

P.G. Viswambharan Plamthottathil Gangadharan Viswambharan (1947 – 16 June 2010) was an Indian film director who worked in Malayalam cinema. Viswambharan directed 63 Malayalam films, in a career spanning close to four decades. Career For a decade, P. G. Vi ...

, '' Itha Ivide Vare'' directed by

), '' Patita'' (1980 – Hindi, directed by I. V. Sasi), '' Yavanika'' (directed by K. G. George) & '' Marmaram'' (directed by Bharathan), both Kerala State Best Film Award – 1982, '' Padayottam'' (first Malayalam 70 mm feature film, 1982, directed by Jijo), '' Pagal Nilavu'' (1985 – Tamil, directed by

Mani Rathnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...

), '' Oru Vadakkan Veera Gaadha'' (1989 – Malayalam, directed by Hariharan), ''

Aadhaaram ''Aadhaaram'' is a 1992 Malayalam-language drama film directed by George Kithu, written by Lohithadas. The film stars Murali as Bapputty, who is trying to rebuild life after completing his prison sentence. The film also features Suresh Gopi, ...

'' (1992 – Malayalam, directed by George Kithu), ''

Sallapam ''Sallapam'' is a 1996 Malayalam-language film directed by Sundar Das and written by A. K. Lohithadas, starring Manoj K. Jayan, Dileep and Manju Warrier. The music was composed by Johnson. The film was remade in Telugu as ''Egire Paavurama''. ...

'' (1996 – Malayalam, directed by Sunder Das), ''

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

'' (1993 – Malayalam, directed by Kamal), '' Kanmadam'' (1998 – Malayalam, directed by

Lohithadas Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (10 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, film maker, and producer who worked in the Malayalam film industry. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a Nationa ...

), ''Beyond the Soul'' (English – 2003 – directed by

Rajiv Anchal Rajiv Anchal (born 20 December 1956) is a film director, screenwriter, and sculptor who works in Malayalam language cinema. In 1997, he made ''Guru'', India's official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His firs ...

) and ''Al-Boom'' (Arabic – 2005 – directed by Khaled Abdul Raheem Al-Zadjali).

Awards

* Kerala State Film Award for Best Cinematography **1976 – Dweepu **1978 – Rathinirvedam **1980 – Chamaram **1989 –

*Cinema Masika Award (1973) : Nirmalyam *Rangam Magazine Award (1977) : Itha Ivide Vare *Kerala Film Critics Award (1981) : Nidhra *Film Fans Association Award (1981) : Yavanika *Nana Film Weekly Award (1982) : Yavanika *Film Arts Club Cochin Award (1989) : Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha *Film Arts Club Cochin Award (1994) : Ghazal *Johnsons Asianet Film Award (1998) : Kanmadham *SICA Lifetime Achievement Award (2008) *Kala Keralam Award (2008) *Kerala Film Critics Award (2009) :

Kadaksham ''Kadaksham'' is a 2010 Malayalam film by Sasi Paravoor starring Suresh Gopi, Shwetha Menon and Shwetha Vijay. Plot Kadaksham movie is a women oriented movie which states the story of how women has to survive against all odds even now in the ...

*Vayalar Samskarika Vedi Award (2010) :

Yugapurushan ''Yugapurushan'' is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language film about the life and times of Sree Narayana Guru. The movie is directed by R. Sukumaran. It has an ensemble cast led by Mammootty, Thalaivasal Vijay and Siddique. Production The film w ...

Positions held

The positions held by Ramachandra Babu in various organisations and award committees include: *Chairman – Technical Committee, India International Film Festival 1997 *Member – Technical Committee, International Film Festival of Kerala, 1999 *Jury – Kerala State Television Awards Committee 1998 *Jury – Padmarajan Film Award Committee 1998 *Jury – Asianet Film Awards Committee 2002 *Jury – John Abraham Film Award Committee 2003 *Resource Person – MACTA Chalachitra Kalari *Jury – SICA Awards for Malayalam Films 2002 *Exec. Committee Member – Kerala Chalachitra Academy 2003 *Jury – Aravindan Puraskaram 2004 *Jury – Mathrubhoomi Film Awards, 2003 *Jury – SICA Awards for Malayalam Films 2006 *Jury –

J. C. Daniel Award The J. C. Daniel Award is Kerala's highest award in Malayalam cinema. It is presented annually by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a non-profit institution under the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala, India. Insti ...

for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema 2009 *President –

*Vice Chairman – Malayalam Cine Technicians Association *General Secretary – Malayalam Cine Technicians Association *President – MACTA Cinematographers' Union *Vice President – MACTA Federation *President – MACTA Federation

Filmography

The list of films for which Ramachandra Babu served as the director of cinematography:

Unreleased films

#Kaadhal Viduthalai (Tamil) – Dir: Jayakumar #Puthiya Swarangal (Tamil) – Dir: Vijayan #Puthu Mazhathullikal (Malayalam) – Dir: Raghavan #Kavaadam (Malayalam) – Dir: K.R.Joshi #Professor Dingan (director) - Died during the production

Gallery

References

External links

Official website

Official website of Indian Society of Cinematographers
*

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20160303232254/http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/stateawares.htm Official Website of Information and Public Relation Department of Kerala {{DEFAULTSORT:Babu, Ramachandra 1947 births 2019 deaths Cinematographers from Kerala Malayalam film cinematographers Film and Television Institute of India alumni People from Kanchipuram district Loyola College, Chennai alumni 20th-century Indian film directors Malayalam film directors 21st-century Indian film directors Film directors from Kerala 20th-century Indian photographers 21st-century Indian photographers Cinematographers from Tamil Nadu