Anandakuttan

Anandakuttan, man, what a legend in Indian cinema, especially Malayalam films. Born back in 1955, he really carved his name out behind the lens—he wasn’t just a cinematographer, he was the guy directors called when they wanted something special. You talk about Manichitrathazhu (1993)? That movie is basically a classic now, and a lot of the credit goes to how it looked—dark, moody, mysterious. That was his magic, honestly. Before that, he’d already been showing off with flicks like Killer (1992) and News (1989). It’s wild how he could make even the simplest scenes catch your eye, like he just had this instinct for what worked on screen. He wasn’t some big-city dude either; he grew up in India, probably saw more of the countryside than skyscrapers. There’s something earthy and real in his work, maybe because of where he came from. Off the set, he was married to Geetha—yeah, they kept it pretty low-key, not a lot of flashy headlines or drama. Just lived life, worked hard, stayed humble. He passed away on Valentine’s Day, 2016, in Kochi, Kerala. A little poetic, honestly, the whole artist’s heart thing. People in the industry still talk about him, not just for the movies but for being a solid guy, a real craftsman. He helped shape the look of a whole era of Malayalam cinema, and even now, young cinematographers point to his work as something to aim for. If you love movies that look and feel alive, you’ve probably already been wowed by something Anandakuttan made.