P. S. Nivas


Panayamparambil Sreenivasan a.k.a. P. S. Nivas was an Indian cinematographer, film director and film producer who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema. He was a recipient of National Film Award for Best Cinematography for the 1976 Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam.He is the second Keralite to win the national honor after Mankada Ravi Varma. He was a frequent collaborator with Bharathiraja and they worked together in 8 films.

Life

Born in Panayam parambil, East Nadakkavu, Calicut, Nivas graduated from the St. Joseph's College, Devagiri and went on to do a diploma in motion picture photography from the Institute of Film Technology, Adyar, Madras.

Career

Nivas started his film career as an operative camera man in P. N. Menon's Malayalam film, Kuttyedathi. He apprenticed under Ashok Kumar in films such as Mappusakshi, Chembarathi and Babu Nanthankode's Dhakam Swapnam. His first film as an independent cinematographer was Sathyathinte Nizhalil, directed by Babu Nanthankode. Nivas was awarded the National Film Award for Best Cinematography (Black and White) for the 1976 Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam. In 1978, he won the Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer the Telugu film, Nimajjanam.
Nivas made his Tamil cinema debut with Bharathiraja's 16 Vayathinile, which was also the latter's directorial debut. He went on to work with the director in films such as Kizhake Pogum Rail, Sigappu Rojakkal, Solva Sawan and Puthiya Vaarpugal. Between 1977 and 1980, he worked on seven Bharathiraja films, including five consecutively. He also photographed C. V. Sridhar's Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu and its Telugu remake, Vayasu Pilichindi. He also worked with K. Viswanath in Saagara Sangamam.
Nivas died on 1 February 2021, in Calicut.

Filmography

As assistant cinematographer

As cinematographer

Malayalam

Sathyathinte NizhalilSindooram Madhuram ThirumadhuramMohiniyaattamSankhupushpamRajaparambaraSooryakanthiPallaviRajan Paranja KadhaPadmatheerthamVelluviliLisa SarppamMaanyamahaajanangaleVeendum Lisa

Tamil

16 Vayathinile Kizhake Pogum Rail Sigappu Rojakkal Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu Puthiya Vaarpugal Niram Maaratha Pookkal Kallukkul Eeram Enakkaga Kaathiru Nizhal Thedum Nenjangal Kozhi Koovuthu (1982 film) Thanikattu Raja

Telugu

Vayasu PilichindiNimajjanamPunadi Rallu - Actor Chiranjeevi's debut movie Saagara SangamamSankeerthanaHanthakudi Veta (1987)
  • ''Nani''

Hindi

Solva SaawanRed Rose

As director

Kallukkul Eeram - Bharathiraja plays himself in this movieEnakkaga Kaathiru Nizhal Thedum Nenjangal