P. Krishnamoorthy (8 September 1943 – 13 December 2020) was an

Indian film The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

and

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

who worked predominantly in the

South Indian cinema The Cinema of South India refers collectively to the six distinct film industries based in Southern region of India namely Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, and Malayalam. Although these industries developed independently for a long p ...

. As of 2015, he had worked in over 55 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Malayalam and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, and won five

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

—three for Best Art Direction and two for Best Costume Design. In addition, he was the recipient of five

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Ch ...

and four

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...

. The five-time National Award winner died in Chennai on December 13 2020, due to age related ailments.

Biography

Hailing from

Poompuhar Puhar (also known as Poompuhar) is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri Poompattinam, which is described in Sangam literature like Silappa ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, P. Krishnamoorthy graduated from the

Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai The Government College of Fine Arts (initially known as the Madras School of Art) in Chennai is the oldest art institution in India. The institution was established in 1850 by surgeon Alexander Hunter as a private art school. In 1852, after bei ...

. Starting his profession as an artist, he got into films through

G. V. Iyer Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer (3 September 1917 – 21 December 2003) was a well-known Indian film director and actor. He was nicknamed "Kannada Bheeshma", and was the only person who made films in Sanskrit. His film '' Adi Shankaracharya'' (19 ...

. He first met Iyer in 1968 when the latter was about to make '' Hamsa Geethe'', a

Kannada film Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...

. Krishnamoorthy was immediately signed up despite having no prior experience in art direction. The film eventually released in 1975, but he remained unnoticed. However, he got an opportunity to work in plays for

B. V. Karanth Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth (Kannada: ಬಾಬುಕೋಡಿ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣ ಕಾರಂತ) (19 September 1929 – 1 September 2002) widely known as B. V. Karanth was an Indian film director, playwright, actor, screenwriter, co ...

and Bansi Kaul. Over the next years, Krishnamoorthy continued to mainly work for Iyer in films such as ''

Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

(1983), ''

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the '' Dvaita'' (dualism) sch ...

'' (1986) and '' Ramanujacharya (1989). Although he entered

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywo ...

through

Sreedhar Rajan Sreedhar Rajan is an Indian journalist and film critic, based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He started his career as an advertising executive and later became a film director and screenwriter. His directorial debut ''Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum'' (198 ...

's ''

Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum ''Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum'' () is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language film directed by debutant Sreedhar Rajan. Produced by R. Venkatraman, the film won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 30th National Film Awards in ...

'' in 1983, he did not work in Tamil films for a brief phase in his career. In 1987, he won his first

National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...

for ''Madhvacharya''. This recognition helped him enter

Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, '' Elippathaya ...

, through

Lenin Rajendran Lenin Rajendran ( ml, ലെനിൻ രാജേന്ദ്രൻ) was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in Malayalam cinema. He served as the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation from 2016 to January 2019 ...

's ''

Swathi Thirunal ( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള്‍ രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 4 ...

'' (1987). Following that, he continued to work in 15 films in Malayalam including '' Vaisali'' (1988), ''

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Balan K. Nair, Captain Raju and Madhavi. The film won ...

'' (1989), ''

Perumthachan Perumthachan (പെരുന്തച്ചന്‍), also spelled as ''"Perunthchan"'' (പെരു - Peru/big, തച്ചന്‍ - thachan/craftsman), meaning ''the master carpenter'' or ''the master craftsman ', is an honorific title ...

'' (1991). He won two National Film Awards for his work in ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' as an art director and

. His involvement with Malayalam cinema in the late 1980s and early 1990s earned him five Kerala State Film Awards for Best Art Director. In 1991, Krishnamoorthy made a comeback to Tamil cinema through

Bharathiraja Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with '' 16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. ...

's ''

Nadodi Thendral ''Nadodi Thendral'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language historical romance film, directed by Bharathiraja and written by Sujatha. It stars Karthik and Ranjitha. The music was provided by Ilaiyaraaja. Featuring an international cast, the film w ...

''. This was followed by

Balu Mahendra Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan-born Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as ...

's ''

Vanna Vanna Pookkal ''Vanna Vanna Pookkal'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by Balu Mahendra, starring Prashanth, Mounika and Vinodhini. The film, produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, was released on 15 January 1992, and won the Nation ...

'' (1992). In the subsequent years, he would work on more Tamil films including

Suhasini Maniratnam Suhasini Maniratnam (born 15 August 1961) known mononymously as Suhasini, is an Indian actress, director, producer and writer in the Tamil film industry. She has worked as an actress in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She made her ...

's directorial debut ''

Indira __NOTOC__ Indira may refer to: People * Indira (name) Films and books * ''Indira'', an 1873 novella by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee * ''Indira'' (film), directed by Suhasini Manirathnam * ''Indira'' (1989 film), a Hindi film (Hema malini as Indir ...

'' (1996), ''

Sangamam ''Sangamam'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language musical romance dance film co written and directed by Suresh Krissna and produced by V. Natarajan of Pyramid Films. The film stars Rahman and newcomer Vindhya with Manivannan, Vijayakumar, Radha ...

'' (1999) and '' Bharati'' (2001). ''Bharati'' fetched him two National Film Awards: Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. His other Tamil films include ''

Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei ''Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language historical- comedy film written and directed by Chimbu Deven. The film stars Vadivelu in his debut as a solo lead actor. Monica and Tejashree play the female leads, while Manor ...

'' (2006), for which he won a state award, ''

Naan Kadavul ''Naan Kadavul'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action drama film co-written and directed by Bala. The film is based on the Tamil novel ''Yezhaam Ulagam'' by Jeyamohan, who also penned the dialogues for the film. The film stars Arya and P ...

'' (2009) and '' Ramanujan'' (2014). As of 2012, Krishnamoorthy lived in

Mahabalipuram Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It ...

, Tamil Nadu.

Selected filmography

* '' Hamsageethe'' (1975) * '' Kudre Motte'' (1975) * '' Prema Kama'' (1976) * ''

Rishyashringa Rishyasringa ( sa, ऋष्यशृङ्ग; ; Pali: Isisiṅga) is a Rishi mentioned in Indian ( Hindu and Buddhist) scriptures from the late first millennium BCE. According to the Hindu epics '' Ramayana'' and '' Mahabharata'', he was a bo ...

'' (1977) * '' Nalegalannu Maduvavaru'' (1978) * '' Kaadu Kudure '' (1979) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1983) * '' Karthavya'' (1985) * ''

'' (1986) * ''

Ithihasa ''Ithihasa'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy comedy film directed by Binu Sadanandan and written by Aneesh Lee Ashok and Anil Narayanan. The film tells the story of body swapping between a conservative young software professional Ja ...

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Vaisali'' (1988) * '' Ramanujacharya'' (1989) * ''

'' (1989) * '' Wall Poster'' (1989) * '' Hrudayanjali'' (1990) * '' Vachanam'' (1990) * '' Nilapennai'' (1990) * ''

Oliyampukal ''Oliyampukal'' () is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language political action film, directed by T. Hariharan, written by Dennis Joseph, and produced by K. G. Rajagopal. The film stars Mammootty, Rekha, Thilakan and Kaviyoor Ponnamma. This film did ...

'' * '' Pooram'' * ''

'' (1991) * ''

'' (1992) * '' Rajasilpi'' (1989) * '' Praying with Anger'' (1992) * ''

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

'' (1993) * ''

Aathma Aathma is the fifth studio album by Andorran metal band Persefone. It was released on 24 February 2017 by label ViciSolum Productions. Track listing Personnel Source: ;Persefone * Marc Martins: vocals * Carlos Lozano: guitars * Miguel Esp ...

'' (1993) * '' Bhagavad Gita: Song of the Lord'' (1993) * '' Parinayam'' (1994) * ''

Pasumpon ''Pasumpon'' is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Bharathiraja, starring Prabhu, Sivaji Ganesan, Sivakumar, Raadhika and Saranya Ponvannan. It was released on 14 April 1995. Plot For several years, Thangapandi is in feud w ...

'' (1995) * '' Mogamul'' (1995) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

'' (1996) * ''

Tamizh Selvan ''Tamizh Selvan'' is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language political drama film directed by Bharathiraja. The films stars Vijayakanth and Roja. It was released on 2 August 1996. Plot Tamil Selvan IAS starts as an assistant collector in Chennai. He ...

'' (1996) * ''

Kulam Filipino witches are the users of black magic and related practices from the Philippines. They include a variety of different kinds of people with differing occupations and cultural connotations which depend on the ethnic group they are associat ...

'' (1996) * ''

'' (1999) * '' Thaj Mahal'' (1999) * ''

Thenali ''Thenali'' is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language comedy film co-written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jayaram, Devayani and Jyothika, with Delhi Ganesh, Charle, Ramesh Khanna and Madhan Bob in supporting roles. ...

'' (2000) * '' Kutty'' (2000) * ''

Vaanavil ''Vaanavil'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film produced by Guru Films and directed by Manoj Kumar. The film stars Arjun, Abhirami and Prakash Raj in lead roles. The film released to mixed reviews, but performed well at the box offic ...

'' (2000) * '' Pavazhakkodi'' (2001) * ''

Pandavar Bhoomi ''Paandavar Bhoomi'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language family drama film, written and directed by Cheran. The film has Arun Vijay (credited as Arun Kumar) Shamitha and Rajkiran playing the lead roles. While Vinu Chakravarthy and Mukesh Tiw ...

'' (2001) * '' Azhagi'' (2001) * '' Bharathi'' (2001) * '' Thenral'' (2002) * ''

Julie Ganapathi ''Julie Ganapathi'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written, photographed, edited and directed by Balu Mahendra, starring Saritha, Jayaram and Ramya Krishnan. It is based on the 1987 Stephen King novel '' Misery''. Fe ...

'' (2003) * '' Athu'' (2004) * '' Pasakkilikal'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * '' Thuvanam'' (2006) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Padithurai'' * '' Jaganmohini'' (2009) * '' Ramanujan'' (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishnamoorthy, P. Indian art directors 2020 deaths Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners Kerala State Film Award winners Indian production designers Indian costume designers Costume designers of Malayalam cinema Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai alumni People from Mayiladuthurai district Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award 20th-century Indian designers Artists from Tamil Nadu 21st-century Indian designers 1943 births Best Production Design National Film Award winners Best Costume Design National Film Award winners