Venkatarama Pandit Krishnamurthy (26 November 1923 – 7 April 2014) known professionally as V. K. Murthy, was an Indian

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

. Murthy, a one-time violinist and jailed freedom fighter, was

Guru Dutt Guru Dutt (born Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone; 9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964; also known as Gurudatta Padukone) was an Indian film actor, director, producer, choreographer, and writer.Rajadhyaksha, Ashish, and Paul Willemen. 9941998 ...

's regular cameraman on his movies. He provided some of Indian cinema's most notable images in starkly contrasted black and white. He also shot India's first

cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

film, '' Kaagaz Ke Phool''. For his contribution to film industry, particularly Indian film industry he was awarded the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In 2010, he was honoured with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his contributions to

Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...

Early life

Murthy was born in Mysore on 26 November 1923. He studied at the Lakshmipuram school, where he chose music as his elective subject and learned to play the violin. He obtained his Diploma in Cinematography from Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic (the present Government Film and Television Institute) in Bangalore in 1946. As a student, he took part in the

Indian freedom struggle The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

and was jailed in 1943. Feeling strongly attracted to the visual medium and wishing to pursue a career in the field, he quit his studies and left for

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

(now Mumbai).

Career

Murthy began his career in films with ''Maharana Prathap''. He worked as an assistant to cinematographer V. Ratra in the 1951 film '' Baazi'' which was

's first as a director. Dutt, impressed by Murthy's smooth and fluid captures with the camera, took him on for his next film '' Jaal'' (1952), which was Murthy's first film as a chief cinematographer. Murthy, then became a part of the Guru Dutt team, till the latter's death in 1964. In 1959 came

's'' Kaagaz Ke Phool'', a film critically acclaimed as one of the director's best. More than anything else, it won many accolades for its cinematography and created unparalleled history in the field. V. K. Murthy, as the cinematographer won widespread praise and received the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer. He repeated the feat with '' Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'' winning the award again in 1962. He worked exclusively with Dutt until the director's death. Some of Murthy's best work came in

's movies like ''

Pyaasa ''Pyaasa'' (; ) is a 1957 Indian Hindi drama film directed and produced by Guru Dutt, who also stars in the film alongside Mala Sinha, Waheeda Rehman, Rehman, and Johnny Walker. Set in Calcutta, the film tells the story of Vijay (played by D ...

'', ''Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'' and ''

Aar Paar ''Aar Paar'' () is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language Film noir, noir comedy film. Directed by Guru Dutt, it has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. ''Aar-Paar'' stars Johnny Walker (actor), Johnny Walker, Shyama (Hindi actress), Sh ...

''. Following Dutt's death, Murthy worked with

Kamal Amrohi Syed Amir Haider Kamal Naqvi (17 January 1918 – 11 February 1993), popularly known as Kamal Amrohi, was an Indian film director and screenwriter. He was also an Urdu and Hindi poet. His Hindi films include '' Mahal'' (1949), (1972) and ''R ...

on his masterpiece, '' Pakeezah'' and ''

Razia Sultan Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din ( Hindustani (Hindi): रज़िय्यत उद दुन्या व उद दीन, ; 1205 – 15 October 1240, ), popularly known as Razia Sultan, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part ...

''. Post Guru Dutt, he like many of the director's team was not able to give any pinnacle work. In later years, he worked with directors like Pramod Chakravarthy ( Naya Zamana, Jugnu),

Shyam Benegal Shyam Benegal (14 December 1934 – 23 December 2024) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. H ...

and

Govind Nihalani Govind Nihalani (born 19 December 1940) is an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Hindi cinema, particularly the movement of parallel cinema. He has been the recipient of six National Film Aw ...

( Tamas). Murthy was also the cinematographer for one of the most acclaimed Kannada film '' Hoovu Hannu'', a directorial production of

Rajendra Singh Babu S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu (born 22 October 1952) is an Indian filmmaker and occasional actor who works primarily in Kannada cinema. He was born and brought up in Mysore. His father Shankar Singh produced many films under the banner Mahatma Pict ...

and also appeared in that film in a role. Murthy was also the principal cinematographer of the widely acclaimed television series produced by Doordarshan and directed by

, '' Bharat Ek Khoj''.

Trivia

* Created some notable film works for the Indian Black and White era films. Created the sun breaking through studio roof shot in Kaagaz Ke Phool with the use of a pair of ordinary mirrors to get a parallel beam. It won him the Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award for 1959. * Was principal cinematographer for the first CinemaScope film in India – Kaagaz Ke Phool * While on training stint in London to work on color films worked with the crew of The Guns of Navarone * Got break in Hindi films by doing a chance shot for

in Baazi.

Abrar Alvi Abrar Alvi (1 July 1927 – 18 November 2009) was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable work was done in the 1950s and 1960s with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, including '' Sah ...

Guru Dutt's key writer also got a break from the same movie, he gave a chance opinion on a scene for Baazi. According to author and eminent musicologist Rajesh Subramanian, the to-be-famous Cinematographer V K Murthy was initially refused admission to the Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic College in Bangalore, which had started offering a course in film-making, and was offered a seat only after much pleading. The aspirant went on to shoot India's first CinemaScope movie Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959.

Awards

* Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award – Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) * Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award – Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) * IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award – Amsterdam, 2005. * Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2008

Retirement and death

Aged 80, Murthy moved back to

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

from

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

in 2001 to lead a retired life at his residence in Shankarapuram in Basavanagudi, Bangalore. He died of natural causes aged 91 on 7 April 2014 at his residence in Bangalore. He was married and had at least one child, a daughter who he named

Chhaya Chhaya or Chaya (), also known as Savarna, is the Hindu personification and goddess of shadow, and a consort of Surya, the Hindu sun god. She is the shadow-image or reflection of Saranyu (Sanjna), the first wife of Surya. Chhaya was born from th ...

in honour of the art or skill which was his passion and gave him his livelihood.

Selected filmography

# Hoovu Hannu (1993) (One and only Kannada movie) # Deedar (1992) # Khule Aam (1992) # Kalyug Aur Ramayan (1987) # Nastik (1983) # Jugnu (1973) # Naya Zamana (1971) # Suraj (1966) # Love in Tokyo (1966) # Ziddi (1964) # Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) # Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) # Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) # 12 O'Clock (1958) #

(1957) #

C.I.D. Cid may refer to: * Cid (soil) * Cubic inch (c.i.d., cid), a displacement unit for internal combustion engines * Cid, a slang term for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) * Content-ID, a URI scheme (cid:) that allows the use of MIME within email Peop ...

(1956) # Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) # Aar-Paar (1954) # Jaal (1952) # Baazi (1951)

Notes

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Murthy, V. K. Filmfare Awards winners Artists from Mysore 1923 births 2014 deaths Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Kannada film cinematographers Cinematographers from Karnataka Indian violinists 20th-century Indian musicians 20th-century Indian photographers Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2004