Venu Isc

Venu Isc Biography

Venu Isc, shortly called Venu is a cinematographer and film director who works in Malayalam film industry. He is a recipient of National Film Award for Best Cinematography three times - 1987 movies, Namakku parkaam mundiri thoppukal and Amma Ariyan; 1993 movie, Miss Beatty's Children; and 1994 movie, Ponthan Mada. In 1998 he made his debut as a director which earned him State award for best debut director. He was the cinematographer of numerous award winning movie, Celluloid (2013) directed by Kamal. Venu is the grandson of famous Malayalam writer Karur Neelakanta Pillai. His wife is a famous Malayalam editor, Beena Paul. His mother B. Saraswathi is also a writer.

He is one of the leading cinematographers of Indian cinema who got opportunity to work with great directors like M. T. Vasudevan Nair, John Abraham, Bharathan, Padmarajan etc. Kadavu, Manichitrathazhu, Sneha veedu, Jnan Gandharvan, Moonnam Pakkam, Celluloid, Amma Ariyan, Katha Thudarunnu, Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal, Thazvaram, Pranchiyettan & the Saint, Bhagya devata, In ghost house inn, 2 Harihar Nagar and Kariyila Kattu Pole are among his noted works.

He has been associated with National award winning young director, Pamela Rooks with whom he worked as a cinematographer of the critically acclaimed movies, Miss Beatty's Children and Train to Pakistan – based on the historic work of Khushwant Singh. He has also worked with legendary film maker Buddhadeb Dasgupta for the movies - Lal Darja, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan, Swapner Din etc. Tarpan, Guna, Anbe Aaruyire, Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana, Miss Beatty's Children and Train to Pakistan are his noted works belonging to other regional languages.

Venu graduated from prestigious Film and Television Institute of India and during the final year itself, he started assisting Shaji N Karun in G Aravindan’s film Pokkuveyil in 1981. G Aravindan is a relative of Venu and that’s how he got opportunity to start with. He assisted Aravindan in many movies like Manju, Koodevide, Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil, Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback, Panchavadippalam etc. Lenin Rajendran’s Prem Nazirine Kanmanilla marked his beginning as an independent cameraman. It was John Abraham’s path breaking experimental movie Amma Ariyan that earned him instant fame and there was no turning back after that.

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Updated: April 17, 2014