Shivaramaiah Ramachandra Aithal ( kn, ಶಿವರಾಮಯ್ಯ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ ಐತಾಳ; 16 November 194810 January 2011), popularly known as S. Ramachandra, was a National Award winning

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n cinematographer. In 2006, he was honoured with

Lifetime Contribution to Kannada Cinema Award The Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award, instituted in 2011 for the 2008–09 Karnataka State Film Awards is an award given by the government of Karnataka to long-serving film personalities in Kannada cinema. The award previously called Lifetime Contributio ...

at the

Karnataka State Film Awards Karnataka State Film Awards are the most notable and prestigious film awards given for Kannada film industry in Karnataka, India. These are considered the highest awards for Kannada language films. They are given annually by the Government ...

. He was recognised as a gifted cinematographer and as a force behind the offbeat films in

Kannada cinema Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...

Career

After securing fifth rank in the Pre-University Course, Ramachandra went to the

National Film and Television Institute The National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) is an educational institution in Accra, Ghana. History and operations It was established in 1978 by the Government of Ghana as a public institution of higher education in film and television produc ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, 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 ...

to learn Cinematography. Upon returning he worked as the Assistant Cameraman for U.M.N. Sharif, who shot

Vamsha Vriksha Vamsha Vriksha (The genealogy tree), is a 1971 Indian Kannada-language film directed by B. V. Karanth and Girish Karnad, based on S. L. Bhyrappa's novel of the same name. The film won the National Film Award for Best Direction.Shampa Banerjee, ...

directed by Girish Karnad and B.V. Karanth. It was during the shooting of

that P.V. Nanjaraja Urs, who identified Ramachandra's talent, asked him to work for his feature film "Sankalpa" which was Ramachandra's first venture as an Independent Cinematographer. He later worked with B.V. Karanth for the Award Winning film

Chomana Dudi Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a feature film in the Kannada language. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Shivaram Karanth. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal' ...

. He also worked in commercial films with directors like Nagabharana and K.V.Jayaram. S. Ramachandra's work in films directed by Girish Kasaravalli brought him accolades. His association with Girish Kasaravalli began with the National Award winning film Ghatashradhdha. Later he worked on ''Akramana'', ''Mane'', ''

Kraurya ''Kraurya'' () is a 1996 Indian Kannada language drama film directed by Girish Kasaravalli, based on a story written by T. N. Seetharam about an old woman who has to deal with complex relationships with people of different generations she is pu ...

'', '' Naayi Neralu'', ''Hasina'' and '' Gulabi Talkies''.

Professional

He was the President of Karnataka Cinematographer's Association for nearly a decade, where he worked to secure the future of Cinematographers of the Kannada Film Industry He was a founding member of Chitrasamuha, a filmmakers' platform for appreciation of cinema aesthetics and he remained an active contributor until his death.

Critical acclaim

Following quotes are about S. Ramachandra and his work.

Awards

* 1977:

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 ...

for Rishya Shringa * 2006:

* Karnataka State Film Award for Best Cinematography ** 1972–73: Sankalpa ** 1976–77: Rushya Shringa ** 1978–79: Grahana ** 1989–90: Mane

Death

S. Ramachandra was suffering from cancer. He was admitted to the Bangalore Institute of Oncology where he was pronounced dead on 10 January 2011. Chitra Varsha: Cinematography of Ramachandra, a year long festival of his films was organised by Chitra Samuha and K. V. Subbanna Aptha Samuha in 2011. At least one film 'Thallana' is dedicated to him.Thallana
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Filmography

Television

Films

An incomplete list of S. Ramachandra's Films also highlights his association with Award winning Films

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramachandra Kannada film cinematographers 2011 deaths Filmfare Awards winners Best Cinematography National Film Award winners 1948 births Artists from Bangalore Cinematographers from Karnataka 20th-century Indian photographers 21st-century Indian photographers Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2004