Sabu Cyril is 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, ...

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 ...

. Having worked in 116 feature films and 2500 add films. He has won four

National Film Award for Best Production Design The National Film Award for Best Production Design is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several award ...

, four state awards, six Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction (including south), five International Indian Film Academy Awards, and many other awards. His work in '' Enthiran'' won him international recognition. Over the years, he has emerged to be the most celebrated art director in the country.

Early life and education

Known as Sabu Cyril today, he was born Sebastian Vincent Cyril in the hill station of Valparai(

Coimbatore District Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, edu ...

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 ...

), and completed his schooling in Asan Memorial (

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

). He 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 ...

(formerly Government School of Arts and Crafts, Chennai).It was his grandfather George Vincent who first called him 'Sabu'. George Vincent was known for opening the first photography studio in Malabar, Kozhikode, called Chitra Studio. His son (Sabu’s uncle), Mr. A. Vincent was a reputed cinematographer and director in the South Indian Film Industry. It was probably his proximity to nature, wildlife and cinema that subconsciously helped Sabu develop an affinity to the world of aesthetics and design. Ever since he was a child, Sabu was always interested in knowing how things work and how this can be applied in everyday life. This curiosity drew him to the world of physics and chemistry, which helped him develop a scientific and practical outlook to problem-solving. Sabu started his career as a graphic designer and illustrator. It was only as a favour to a friend that he entered a film set. Circumstance and chance made Sabu an Art Director on his first ever film. Sabu believes that he could rise to the challenge because of his inclination towards science and art, it may seem as if he was destined to be a Production Designer all along.

Career

From 1982 to 1988, he was a freelance graphics designer for companies such as Welcomgroup Hotels, the Taj Group of Hotels, and Madura Coats. In 1988, he began his art director career, and has directed more than 2,500 advertisements, 3 teleserials and 115 feature films in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

and

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

and designed several stage shows. In 1996, he directed the stage design for the

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss In ...

beauty pageant. He also worked as one of the 2nd unit Art Directors in the 1990 film Iyer the Great. Working Still Robo RAJINI.jpg Working Stills Robo 1.jpg Working Stills Bahubali With Rajamouli.jpg Robo With Shankar.jpg Bahubali With Prabhas.jpg

Filmography

''As Actor''

Tamil

* ''

Vikram Vikram may refer to: * Vikram (name), a male name in the Hindu community * ''Vikram'' (1986 Tamil film) * ''Vikram'' (1986 Telugu film) * ''Vikram'' (2022 Tamil film) * Vikram (actor) (born 1966), Indian actor * Vikram (spacecraft), an Indian M ...

'' (1986) * '' Enthiran'' (2010)

''As Art Director''

Malayalam

* '' Iyer the Great'' (1990) * ''

Amaram ''Amaram'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam drama film directed by Bharathan and written by A. K. Lohithadas. It stars Mammootty, Maathu, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Ashokan, Murali, Chitra, and Kuthiravattam Pappu in the main roles. The film's scor ...

'' (1991) * '' Uncle Bun'' (1991) * ''

Adwaytham ''Adhwaytham'' () is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language political crime thriller film directed by Priyadarshan and written by T. Damodaran. It stars Mohanlal, Jayaram, Chithra, Revathi, Innocent, and M. G. Soman. The soundtrack for the film was ...

'' (1991) * '' Mahanagaram'' (1992) * '' Dhruvam'' (1993) * ''

Minnaram ''Minnaram'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan from a story by Cheriyan Kalpakavadi. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Thilakan, with Sankaradi, K. P. Ummer, Jagathy Sreekumar, ...

'' (1994) * ''

Thenmavin Kombath ''Thenmavin Kompath'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan. It was produced and edited by N. Gopalakrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal, Shobana, and Nedumudi Venu, with Kaviyoor Ponnamm ...

'' (1994) * ''

Pavithram ''Pavithram'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar and written by P. Balachandran from a story by Balachandran and Kumar. The film stars Mohanlal and Shobana in lead roles. Vinduja Menon, Thilakan, ...

'' (1994) * '' Sainyam'' (1994) * ''

Maanthrikam ''Maanthrikam'' () is a 1995 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film produced and directed by Thampi Kannanthanam and written by Babu Pallassery. It stars Mohanlal, Jagadish, Priya Raman, Raghuvaran, and Rajan P. Dev. Filmed by Saloo Geor ...

'' (1995) * ''

Kaalapani ''Kaalapani'' () is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. Set in 1915, the film focuses on the lives of Indian independence activists incarcerated in the Cellular Jail (or ''Kāl ...

'' (1996) * '' Chandralekha'' (1997) * '' Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu'' (1999) * '' Megham'' (1999) * ''

Raakilipattu Raakilipaatu is a 2007 Malayalam film starring Jyothika, Sharbani Mukherjee, Tabu and Lakshmi. The music was composed by Vidyasagar. The film was directed by Priyadarshan.The film's story is loosely based on the 1999 Marathi film '' Bindhaast' ...

'' (2000) * ''

Kakkakuyil ''Kakkakuyil'' () is a 2001 Indian Malayalam-language heist comedy-drama film written and directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Lissy. It stars Mohanlal and Mukesh. The film features songs composed by Deepan Chatterji and background score ...

'' (2001) * '' Kilichundan Mampazham'' (2003) * '' Magic Magic 3D'' (2003) * '' Aakasha Gopuram'' (2008) * '' Oru Marubhoomikkadha'' (2011) * ''

Kolaambi ''Kolaambi '' () is an Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, starring Nithya Menen, Renji Panicker, Rohini, Sijoy Varghese and Dileesh Pothan. The film is produced by Roopesh Omana under the producti ...

'' (2019) * '' Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea'' (2021)

Hindi

* '' Muskurahat'' (1992) * '' Gardish'' (1993) * '' Virasat'' (1997) * ''

Saat Rang Ke Sapne ''Saat Rang Ke Sapne'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi film directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Amitabh Bachchan. It is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1994 Malayalam film ''Thenmavin Kombath''. The film stars Arvind Swamy and Juhi Chawla. This m ...

'' (1998) * ''

Kabhi Na Kabhi ''Kabhi Na Kabhi'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language action film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. It stars Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Pooja Bhatt. The film was produced by R. Mohan (aka GoodKnight Mohan) in the banner of a Malayalam ...

'' (1998) * ''

Doli Saja Ke Rakhna ''Doli Saja Ke Rakhna'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romance film directed by Priyadarshan, with Akshaye Khanna and Jyothika in lead roles. The plot is adapted from the Malayalam film ''Aniyathipraavu''. The music was composed by A. R ...

'' (1998) * ''

Major Saab ''Major Saab'' is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language action film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Naveen Nischol, Ajay Devgn, Sonali Bendre, Nafisa Ali and Ashish Vidhyarthi. Plot The plot concerns playboy Virendra Pratap Singh aka Vir. A clause in the ...

'' (1998) * '' Pukar'' (2000) * '' Hey Ram'' (2000) * '' Hera Pheri'' (2000) * '' Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya'' (2000) * '' Aśoka'' (2001) * ''

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai ''Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Goldie Behl. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Sushmita Sen and Jackie Shroff. It was a disaster at the box office. Synops ...

'' (2001) * ''

Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar ''Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan. This story of the film is an remake of the Mohanlal-starrer movie ''Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam'' with a dog explosion comedy sequenc ...

'' (2001) * ''

Om Jai Jagadish ''Om Jai Jagadish'' is a 2002 Indian Hindi drama film directed by Anupam Kher and was his directorial debut, and the only movie he has directed till date. The film stars Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahima Ch ...

'' (2002) * ''

Hungama Hungama may refer to: * ''Hungama'' (1971 film), a Bollywood comedy film * ''Hungama'' (2003 film), a Bollywood comedy * ''Hungama'' (2005 film), a Telugu comedy film * Hungama TV, an Indian children's television channel * Hungama Digital Media ...

'' (2003) * '' Khushi'' (2003) * '' Main Hoon Na'' (2003) * '' Yuva'' (2004) * '' Hulchul'' (2004) * '' Phir Milenge'' * '' Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye'' (2005) * ''

Garam Masala Garam masala Hindustani_language.html"_;"title="rom_Hindustani_language">Hindustani_/_(''garm_masala'',_"hot_spices")is_a_Spice_mix.html" ;"title="Hindustani language">Hindustani / (''garm masala'', "hot spices")">Hindustani_language.html" ;"tit ...

'' (2005) * '' Kyon Ki'' (2005) * '' Chup Chup Ke'' (2005) * ''

Malamaal Weekly ''Malamaal Weekly'' is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan and starring Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Riteish Deshmukh, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was successful ...

'' (2006) * '' Jaan-E-Mann'' (2006) * '' Bhagam Bhag'' (2006) * ''

Welcome A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. In some contexts ...

'' (2007) * '' Dhol'' (2007) * ''

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

'' (2007) * '' Bhool Bhulaiyaa'' (2007) * ''

Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillie ...

'' (2007) * ''

Mere Baap Pehle Aap ''Mere Baap Pehle Aap'' (translation: ''My father, You first'') is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Akshaye Khanna, Genelia D'Souza, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Manoj Joshi, Archana Puran Singh ...

'' (2008) * '' Aladin'' (2009) * '' De Dana Dan'' (2009) * '' Billu'' (2009) * '' Khatta Meetha'' (2010) * ''

Bumm Bumm Bole ''Bumm Bumm Bole'' () is a 2010 Hindi film directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Darsheel Safary, Atul Kulkarni, Rituparna Sengupta and newcomer Ziyah Vastani. The film is an authorized adaptation of the 1997 Iranian film ''Children of Heaven ...

'' (2010) * '' Aakrosh'' (2010) * '' Tees Maar Khan'' (2010) * '' Ra.One'' (2011) * '' Tezz'' (2012) * ''

Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal ''Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal'' is a 2012 Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Priyadarshan. It stars Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Asrani, Shreyas Talpade, Shakti Kapoor and Nyra Banerjee. The film has been produced by Percept Pict ...

'' (2012) * ''

Son of Sardaar ''Son of Sardaar'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Ashwni Dhir. A remake of 2010 Telugu film ''Maryada Ramanna'' directed by S. S. Rajamouli, it featured Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Juhi Chawla ...

'' (2012) * ''

Rangrezz ''Rangrezz'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Priyadarshan Priyadarshan (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Hindi films, ...

'' (2013) * '' Himmatwala'' (2013) * '' Run Bhola Run'' (2013) * '' Krrish 3'' (2013) * ''

Final Cut of Director ''Final Cut of Director'' is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film that was written and directed by Bharathiraja. The film stars Nana Patekar and Arjun Sarja, with Rukmini Vijayakumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Niyamat Khan, Vatsal Sheth, and ...

'' (2016) * '' Shivaay'' (2016) * '' Saaho'' (2019)

Tamil

* '' Kalaignan'' (1993) * ''

Pudhiya Mugam ''Pudhiya Mugam'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by Suresh Chandra Menon. It stars Revathi, Suresh Chandra Menon, Vineeth and Kasthuri. The film featured music by A. R. Rahman. ''Pudhiya Mugam'' is an adaptation ...

'' (1993) * ''

Paasamalargal ''Paasamalargal'' () is a 1994 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Suresh Chandra Menon. The film stars Arvind Swamy and Revathi. It was released on 4 February 1994. Plot In order to earn the goodwill, a bus ...

'' (1994) * ''

Kannathil Muthamittal ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' (also released internationally under the translated title ''A Peck on the Cheek'') is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language musical war film produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. It was based on a short story, "Amuthavum Avanum ...

'' (2001) * ''

Citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

'' (2001) * '' Thamizhan'' (2002) * ''

Panchathantiram ''Panchatanthiram'' () is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written with Kamal Haasan, with the dialogues by Crazy Mohan. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jayaram, Ramesh Aravind, Sriman, Yugi Sethu, Simra ...

'' (2002) * ''

Iyarkai ''Iyarkai'' (, ) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film that was written and directed by S. P. Jananathan in his directorial debut. The film stars Shaam and Radhika. Arun Vijay—who at the time was known as Arun Kumar—and Bollyw ...

'' (2003) * ''

Boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...

'' (2003) * '' Lesa Lesa'' (2003) * '' Ayutha Ezhuthu'' (2004) * '' Anniyan'' (2005) * '' Kanchivaram'' (2008) * '' Enthiran'' (2010) (also cameo appearance as Shah, Mr.Bohra's agent/translator) * '' Yaan'' (2013) * '' Lingaa'' (2014) * '' Sometimes'' (2016)

Telugu

* ''

Gandeevam ''Gandeevam'' () is a 1994 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film, produced by Satyam Babu, Sampath Kumar under the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Combines banner and directed by Priyadarshan. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nandamuri Balakrishna ...

'' (1994) * ''

Devi Putrudu ''Devi Putrudu'' () is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language fantasy-drama film written and produced by M. S. Raju under the Sumanth Art Productions banner, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. It stars Venkatesh, Soundarya and Anjala Zaveri, with music comp ...

'' (2001) * '' Baahubali: The Beginning'' (2015) * '' Baahubali 2: The Conclusion'' (2017) * '' Saaho'' (2019) * '' RRR'' (2022) * '' NTR 30'' (upcoming)

Kannada

* '' Cheluvi'' (1992) * '' Chinna'' (1994)

Awards

;

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 ...

*1994 – Best Production Designer – ''

'' (

) *1995 – Best Production Designer – ''

'' (

) *2007 – Best Production Designer – ''

'' (

) *2010 – Best Production Designer – '' Enthiran'' (

) ; Nandi Awards *2015 - Nandi Award for Best Art Director - '' Baahubali'' ;

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 ...

*1994 – Best Art Director – ''

'' *1995 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ;

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 ...

*2002 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ;

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

*1994 – Best Art Direction – '' Gardish'' *2000 – Best Art Direction – '' Hey Ram'' *2005 – Best Art Direction – '' Yuva'' ; Filmfare Awards South *2005 – Best Art Director – '' Anniyan'' *2010 – Best Art Director – '' Enthiran'' *2017 - Best Art Director - '' Baahubali: The Conclusion'' ; Vijay Awards *2014 – Vijay Award for Best Art Director – '' Lingaa'' ; International Indian Film Academy Awards *2007 – Best Art Direction – ''

'' *2009 – Best Art Direction – '' Aladin'' *2010 – Best Art Direction – '' Enthiran'' *2011 – Best Art Direction – '' Ra.One'' *2015 - Best Art Direction – '' Baahubali'' ;

South Indian International Movie Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to apprec ...

*2012 – Generation Next Award (Sensational Art Director) ;

Global Indian Film Awards Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) was an awards ceremony held between 2005 and 2007, conceptualized to acknowledge excellence in the Indian Film industry and honour artists in 28 categories across various genres, from acting to film making. It is ...

*2004 – Best Art Director – '' Main Hoon Na'' ; Kerala Film Critics Association Awards *1994 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ;

International Tamil Film Awards The International Tamil Film Awards (ITFA) is an awards ceremony that honours excellence in Tamil language films around the world since 2003. History The awards began in 2003 and the awards honour films from the previous calendar year. Award ...

*2003 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ; Asianet Film Awards *1999 – Best Art Director – '' Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu'', '' Megham'' ;Kerala Film Journals' Awards *1991 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ;Kerala Janakiya Awards *1995 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ; Kaumudi Awards *1994 – Best Art Director – ''

'' ;Other awards *1985 – Best Outgoing Student ( University of Madras) award by

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature ...

*Kalavedi Award (

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

) – In recognition of commendable service to the cause of fostering human integration. *People of Arts Centre (

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

) – In appreciation of Sazaa-E-Kaala Paani

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cyril, Sabu Indian art directors Malayali people Living people Kerala State Film Award winners Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Awards South winners Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai alumni 1962 births Indian production designers Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners 20th-century Indian designers Film people from Kerala 21st-century Indian designers Best Production Design National Film Award winners