P. Krishnamoorthy

P. Krishnamoorthy Biography

P. Krishnamoorthy is a veteran art director associated with South Indian cinema. Production designing and costume designing are other professions he handles with ‘art’. A highly acclaimed artist of south Indian film industry, he has won 5 National awards till now. He has won three National for Best Art Direction and two for Best Costume Design, apart from five Kerala State Film Awards and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Associated with film industry since 1970s, he has spent over 4 decades in the film industry.

In 1987, he won his first National Film Award for Kannada film Madhvacharya, followed by Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989 – Malayalam) and Bharati (2000 – Tamil), thus making a unique honour of winning award in three different languages. He won his first National Film Award for Best Costume Design for Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989 – Malayalam) followed by Bharati (2000 – Tamil). Thus he received art and costume awards for two movies - Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989 – Malayalam) and Bharati (2000 – Tamil). Krishnamurthy has also been awarded the prestigious title of Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram.

He belongs to Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu and currently resides at Mahabalipuram of Kanchipuram district. After graduating from Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai he started his professional career as an artist through G. V. Iyer movies, whom he met in 1968. He was signed for a project though Krishnamoorthy didn’t claim any experience earlier. The movie, Hamsa Geethe released in 1975 went noticed. But very soon he got offers from theatre through highly acclaimed personalities like B. V. Karanth and Bansi Kaul.

He later worked with G. V. Iyer in many movies like Adi Shankaracharya (1983), Madhvacharya (1986) and Ramanujacharya (1989), which earned him recognition. In fact Madhvacharya gave him first national level attention as well. Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum in 1983 was his debut Tamil film. Swathi Thirunal (1987) marked his Malayalam debut which earned him the first state award, followed by the years 1988 and 1989, thus completing the hat trick. In 1993, he received state award for Kamal’s Ghazal and in 1996 for Kulam. Nadodi Thendral, Vanna Vanna Pookkal, Indira, Sangamam and Bharati are his noted Tamil works, apart from his state award winning works - Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei, Naan Kadavul and Ramanujan.

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Updated: January 18, 2016