Chezhiyan Explained

Chezhiyan ISC
Birth Place:Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma Mater:Alagappa Chettiar College
Occupation:Cinematographer, film director, writer
Years Active:2007–present

Chezhiyan is an Indian filmmaker and director of photography who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. He received critical acclaim for his work in Kalloori (2007), Paradesi (2013) and To Let (2017).

Early life and education

Chezhiyan was born in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, where he did his early schooling. His parents were primary school teachers. His father was an artist who used to draw and would make toys with clays, his mother was a storyteller and also a singer. He completed his diploma in civil engineering from Alagappa Chettiar College in Karaikudi. Chezhiyan was also interested in photography right from his early days and was into drawing and painting.[1] [2]

Career

After completing his civil engineering degree, he started his career as an apprentice to P. C. Sreeram before establishing himself as a cinematographer.[3] He worked as an assistant director in the film Thambi (2006). The film's cinematographer left the shoots after 60 days and hence the film director Seeman asked him to double up as cinematographer. He then shot the climax and all the songs and worked for the remaining 30 days. His name had featured as "additional cinematographer" in Thambi.[2]

Chezhiyan made his debut as a full-fledged cinematographer with Kalloori (2007). Kalloori opened to critical acclaim in December 2007, with a critic stating that "Chezhian's cinematography is perfection itself, capturing the dustiness of the surrounds and the college accurately".[4] [5] He then worked in S. Shankar's production Rettaisuzhi, in V. Gowthaman's Magizhchi and in Seenu Ramasamy's Thenmerku Paruvakaatru, the latter won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.[6] [7] [8]

He received critical acclaim for his work in Bala's Paradesi (2013) and went on to win many awards, including the Best Cinematography Award at the 2013 BFI London Film Festival Awards.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

He then worked in the thriller film Sawaari (2016), in Tharai Thappattai (2016), teaming up with director Bala for the second time, and the critically acclaimed film Joker (2016).[15] [16] [17]

To Let.[18] [19]

Chezhiyan made his directorial debut with To Let (2017) and it was produced by his wife Prema under the couple's own production company "La Cinema". The film, inspired by real-life incidents, portrayed the ordeal of a lower-middle-class family hunting for a rented house. At the 65th National Film Awards, it won in the category Best Feature Film in Tamil.[3] [20] [21]

Other works

Chezhiyan received the Katha award for his short story Harmoniam in 2004. He has also authored a series of books on cinema titled Ulaga Cinema (World Cinema) in Tamil, and the series was published by the Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan between 2005 and 2007. The recognition got him a Fellowship from the Department of Culture for two years, to explore the theme of Imagery in Short Stories. He has worked as a cinematographer in many documentaries, including A Little Dream (2008), a biographical docu-fiction about the former India President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and a documentary about the Tamil writer Jayakanthan.[1] [22] [23] [24]

Filmography

Feature films
Year Film Cinematographer Director Notes
2007 Kalloori
2010 Rettaisuzhi
Magizhchi
Thenmerku Paruvakaatru
2013 Paradesi Edison Award for Best Cinematographer
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards for Best Cinematographer
Norway Tamil Film Festival Best Story Award
BFI London Film Festival
Nominated, SIIMA Award for Best Cinematographer - Tamil
Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Cinematographer
2016 Tharai Thappattai
Sawaari
Joker
2019 To Let 65th National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil
2022 Kondraal Paavam
Short films and documentaries

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Man of many parts. 13 February 2014. 28 May 2018. Charukesi. The Hindu.
  2. Web site: CINEMATOGRAPHER CHEZHIYAN INTERVIEW. 28 May 2018. Jyothsna. Behindwoods.com.
  3. Web site: Film that portrays the ordeal of house-hunting bags award. 20 November 2017. 28 May 2018. B. Kolappan. The Hindu.
  4. Web site: Kallori Tamil Movie Preview. 28 May 2018. IndiaGlitz.com.
  5. Web site: Review: Kalloori is realistic. 7 December 2007. 28 May 2018. Pavithra Srinivasan. Rediff.com.
  6. Web site: 'Rettaisuzhi' is bundled with pranks. 6 May 2010. 28 May 2018. News18 Tamil Nadu.
  7. Web site: Magizchi - Tamil Movie Previews. 28 May 2018. Behindwoods.com.
  8. Web site: Cinematographer Chezhiyan Makes Directorial Debut. 13 January 2016. 28 May 2018. K. Janaki. silverscreen.in.
  9. Web site: Tamil film 'Paradesi' wins awards at London film festival. Mythily Ramachandran. 23 October 2013. 28 May 2018. Gulf News.
  10. Web site: Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards. 28 May 2018. Ananda Vikatan.
  11. Web site: Annual Edison Awards presented. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519162718/http://www.sify.com/movies/annual-edison-awards-presented-imagegallery-0-kollywood-ocsk2Odiaaisi.html. dead. 19 May 2017. 28 May 2018. Sify.
  12. Web site: Tamilar Awards 2014: Winners and finalists announced!. 28 May 2018. ntff.no. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519164651/http://www.ntff.no/news/Tamilar%20Awards%202014. 19 May 2017. dead.
  13. Web site: SIIMA AWARDS 2014 winners. 28 May 2018. SIIMA. 19 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519165255/http://siima.in/2014/winners.html. dead.
  14. Web site: Vijay Awards: Ajith's 'Arrambam', Kamal Haasan, Sivakarthikeyan Bag Awards [Winners List]]. 6 July 2014. 28 May 2018. International Business Times.
  15. Web site: Sawaari is a psycho thriller. 16 January 2017. 28 May 2018. Janani Karthik. The Times of India.
  16. Web site: Tharai Thappattai Preview. 14 January 2016. 28 May 2018. IndiaGlitz.com.
  17. Web site: There is scope for realistic films. 20 September 2016. 28 May 2018. K. Jeshi. The Hindu.
  18. Web site: Studio 9 Suresh becomes a cop!. 27 January 2016. 28 May 2018. Vaishnavi. Behindwoods.com.
  19. Web site: Mysskin, RK Suresh to don khaki in his next film. 11 January 2016. 28 May 2018. The Indian Express.
  20. Web site: Chezhian speaks on his award film. 14 April 2018. 28 May 2018. Anupama Subramanian. Deccan Chronicle.
  21. Web site: Tamil film 'To Let' wins accolades. Mythily Ramachandran. 18 April 2018. 28 May 2018. Gulf News.
  22. Web site: Screening of 'a little dream' a docu-film on Dr.APJ.Abdul Kalam. 3 August 2006. 28 May 2018. old.thinnai.com.
  23. Web site: Housing is a global problem: Filmmaker Chezhiyan Ra on his National Award winning film To Let. https://web.archive.org/web/20180529065727/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2018/may/21/13346/housing-is-a-global-problem-filmmaker-chezhiyan-ra-on-his-national-award-winning-film-to-let. live. 29 May 2018. 21 May 2018. 28 May 2018. Sukhpreet Kahlon. cinestaan.com.
  24. Web site: Awards - Katha. 28 May 2018. katha.org.