In this Indian name, the name Balanathan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Mahendra.
Balu Mahendra
Born
Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran
(1939-05-19)19 May 1939
Batticaloa, British Ceylon
Died
13 February 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 74)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Other names
Mahendra, Balu, Bala Mahendran
Education
London University
Film and Television Institute of India
Occupations
Cinematographer
director
screenwriter
film editor
Years active
1971–2013
Spouses
Ahileshwari
(m. 1963)
Shoba
(m. 1978; died 1980)
Mounika
(m. 1998)
Children
1
Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 – 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra,[1] cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked in various Indian film industries, primarily in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Born in Sri Lanka, Mahendran developed a passion for photography and literature at a young age, after witnessing the shoot of David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) during a school trip in Sri Lanka, he was drawn towards filmmaking. After graduation he joined as an Aerial photographer in the Sri Lankan Government.[2] In 1966, he moved to India and gained admission to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) to pursue a course in motion picture photography. Upon completion of his diploma, he entered Malayalam cinema as a cinematographer in the early 1970s.
After working in over 20 films as a cinematographer, Mahendra made his directorial debut in 1977 with the Kannada film Kokila. Since then, he directed over 20 films in a span of 36 years. Along with Bharathiraja and Mahendran, he is regarded as a trendsetter in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as an auteur,[3][4] Mahendra usually scripted and edited his films apart from shooting them. He was the recipient of six National Film Awards (including two for Best Cinematography), five Filmfare Awards South and several state government awards. During the tail end of his career, he established a film school in Chennai, which offers courses in cinematography, direction and acting. Following a brief phase of poor health, Mahendra died of cardiac arrest in February 2014.
^"Balu Mahendra was also a literary figure". Ceylon Today. 17 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
^Tin̲ēṣ Kan̲n̲imāri, ed. (2020). Al̲iyāta kōlaṅkaḷ: caka tiraikkalaiñarkaḷin̲, naṇparkaḷin̲ nin̲aivil... Pālumakēntirā (in Tamil) (Mutar̲patippu ed.). Tiruvaṇṇāmalai: Vamci. ISBN 978-93-84598-91-4.
^Rangan, Baradwaj (14 February 2014). "Naturalism was his signature". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
^"Tamil cinema's auteur Balu Mahendra dead". Business Standard. 13 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 – 13 February 2014), commonly known as BaluMahendra, cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked...
She was the third wife of director BaluMahendra. Mounika was living together with BaluMahendra. BaluMahendra has confirmed his relationship with Mounika...
music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, while cinematography was handled by BaluMahendra. The film is also Kapoor's debut in Kannada cinema. Pallavi Anu Pallavi...
directed by BaluMahendra, starring Pratap Pothen and Shoba. Kamal Haasan played a guest role in the film. The film was BaluMahendra's second directorial...
Veedu (transl. House) is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language film directed by BaluMahendra. Starring Archana as the central character, it depicts the difficulties...
Tamil-language romantic drama film written, directed and filmed by BaluMahendra. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, while Y. G. Mahendran, Silk...
edited, and directed by BaluMahendra in his last directorial film. Produced by Sasikumar's Company Productions and BaluMahendra's Cinema Pattarai, the...
Shobha committed suicide by hanging at the age of 17. She was married to BaluMahendra. The 1983 Malayalam film Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback directed by...
2015 Mahendra Chaudhry – Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party Upul Mahendra (born 1971), Sri Lankan politician BaluMahendra – director...
his performances in Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) and BaluMahendra's Thalaimuraigal (2013), playing the lead role in the later. Currently...
Tamil-language psychological thriller film written, directed and filmed by BaluMahendra. Starring his then wife Shoba and Pratap, with N. Viswanathan, Gandhimathi...
inclination towards filmmaking. Later, he attended a seminar organised by BaluMahendra, who at that time was a visiting professor at Loyola. Impressed by the...
is a 1984 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by BaluMahendra. It stars Thiagarajan, Bhanu Chander, Archana and Silk Smitha in major...
psychological thriller film written, photographed, edited and directed by BaluMahendra, starring Saritha, Jayaram and Ramya Krishnan. It is based on the 1987...
Hindi-language tragedy romantic drama film, written and directed by BaluMahendra. It stars Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in lead roles, with the music composed...
Telugu-language romantic drama film co-written, directed, filmed, and edited by BaluMahendra. Produced by Linga Raju, the film stars Bhanu Chander and Archana. Allu...
En Iniye Ponnilave is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language film directed by BaluMahendra, starring Pandiarajan and Mounika. Pandiarajan as Shiva Mounika as Rosie...
Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by BaluMahendra. The film stars Mammootty and Shobana, while Adoor Bhasi, Thilakan and...
(transl. Waves) is a 1982 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by BaluMahendra. The film's plot is inspired by the 1980 Erich Segal novel Man, Woman...
Indian Tamil-language drama film produced, written and directed by BaluMahendra. It stars Chokkalinga Bagavathar, Oviyar Veera Santhanam and Archana...
Since Mahendran had no previous directing experience, cinematographer BaluMahendra, who was already an established director, assisted him with the screenplay...
2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by BaluMahendra. The film featured Dhanush and Priyamani , while Karunas and Delhi Ganesh...
Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed, written and photographed by BaluMahendra, starring Mohan, Radhika and Archana. It is based on the 1984 American...
singer sometimes known as "Balu" BaluMahendra (1939–2014), Tamil filmmaker, screenwriter, editor and cinematographer Balu Sankaran (1926–2012), Indian...
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