Nirav Shah
Encyclopedia
Nirav Shah is an acclaimed India
n cinematographer
. He has worked on a number of major box office hits in Hindi
and Tamil
since his debut with the 2004 Hindi film Paisa Vasool
.
Paisa Vasool
, following which he worked on another Hindi project Intequam (2004). It was, however, the Hindi blockbuster film Dhoom
(2004) that made people take notice of Shah, winning him accolades and gaining him fame and popularity.
Subsequently Shah got offers from the Tamil film industry as well and moved southwards, debuting in Kollywood
with the 2005 Linguswamy
-directed action film Sandakozhi
, following which he was called up by director Vishnuvardhan
. They first teamed up for the 2005 Tamil gangster film Pattiyal
, following which Vishnuvardhan worked together with Shah for all his following feature films, creating, along with noted music composer, Yuvan Shankar Raja
, one of the most acclaimed and most successful collaborations in the Tamil film industry. Shah's works in Vishnuvardhan's films including Arinthum Ariyamalum
(2005), Billa
(2007) and the most recent Sarvam
(2008) got high praise and much critical acclaim, turning him into one of the most sought-after young cinematographers in Kollywood.
He returned to Bollywood to work on the films Banaras
and the sequel
of Dhoom (both 2006), for which Shah again won accolades and also received several awards and nominations, particular for the latter one. He was signed up by Prabhu Deva for the Vijay
-starrer Pokkiri
(2007) and by the director-duo Pushkar-Gayathri
for their debut venture Oram Po (2007). In 2008 then, Nirav Shah was called by noted filmmaker Shankar
to handle the camera for his forthcoming magnum opus
science-fiction film Enthiran but Shah had to reject the invitation because he had already given his word to his friend Vishnuvardhan
's Sarvam
. He went on to work on the Hindi remake of Pokkiri, Wanted Dead and Alive
, directed again by Prabhu Deva and Director Vijay's Madrasapattinam.
In July 2009, it was announced that Shah would soon turn film director
, directing a film under actor Arya
's production, starring Arya's brother Sathya
in the lead role. Besides, Shah is currently developing and building India's biggest film studio, located at the Old Mahabalipuram Road
off Chennai
, Tamil Nadu
, India
, which is said to cost around Rs. 100 crore.
Three of his films have been nominated at the National Award for the Best Cinematographer: Banaras (Hindi), Pattiyal (Tamil) and Dhoom 2 (Hindi). He won the Tamil Nadu Government's State Award for Best Cinematographer for Billa
(Tamil).
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. He has worked on a number of major box office hits in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
since his debut with the 2004 Hindi film Paisa Vasool
Paisa Vasool
Paisa Vasool is a 2004 Indian film directed by Srinivas Bhashyam starring Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen. The film was produced by actress Manisha Koirala. The film is an uncredited remake of 2001 Hollywood movie High Heels and Low Lifes....
.
Career
After having worked as an assistant to other noted cinematographers and solely on many television advertisements, music videos and short films, Nirav Shah became an independent cinematographer for a "full feature film", debuting with the 2004 Bollywood filmBollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
Paisa Vasool
Paisa Vasool
Paisa Vasool is a 2004 Indian film directed by Srinivas Bhashyam starring Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen. The film was produced by actress Manisha Koirala. The film is an uncredited remake of 2001 Hollywood movie High Heels and Low Lifes....
, following which he worked on another Hindi project Intequam (2004). It was, however, the Hindi blockbuster film Dhoom
Dhoom
The title track "Dhoom Dhoom" was released in a remixed version song by the Thai-American singer Tata Young. The song and it's music video featuring Tata Young proved to be a major hit in India during 2004 and 2005. The original song was sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Other tracks on the soundtrack...
(2004) that made people take notice of Shah, winning him accolades and gaining him fame and popularity.
Subsequently Shah got offers from the Tamil film industry as well and moved southwards, debuting in Kollywood
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
with the 2005 Linguswamy
N. Linguswamy
N. Linguswamy is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, working primarily in Tamil cinema based in Chennai. He made his directorial debut with the family-drama Aanandham in 2001 and followed it up with the highly successful action films Run , Sandakozhi , Bheema and Paiyaa...
-directed action film Sandakozhi
Sandakozhi
Sandakozhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy and produced by Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Film Corporation. The film stars Vishal, Meera Jasmine, Rajkiran and Lal in lead roles, whilst Suman Setty, Raja, Shanmugarajan and Ganja Karuppu essay...
, following which he was called up by director Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
. They first teamed up for the 2005 Tamil gangster film Pattiyal
Pattiyal
Pattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
, following which Vishnuvardhan worked together with Shah for all his following feature films, creating, along with noted music composer, Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan...
, one of the most acclaimed and most successful collaborations in the Tamil film industry. Shah's works in Vishnuvardhan's films including Arinthum Ariyamalum
Arinthum Ariyamalum
Arinthum Ariyamalum is a 2005 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan that stars Prakash Raj along with newcomers Arya, Navdeep and Samiksha in lead and Adithya and Krishna in supporting roles. The film's music is composed by top director, Yuvan Shankar Raja...
(2005), Billa
Billa (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
(2007) and the most recent Sarvam
Sarvam
Sarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D...
(2008) got high praise and much critical acclaim, turning him into one of the most sought-after young cinematographers in Kollywood.
He returned to Bollywood to work on the films Banaras
Banaras - A Mystic Love Story
Banaras: A Mystic Love Story is the name of an Indian Bollywood film directed by Pankaj Parashar released in 2006. The film takes place in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi and is centered around the relationship of a young woman with her parents and her lover...
and the sequel
Dhoom 2
Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,...
of Dhoom (both 2006), for which Shah again won accolades and also received several awards and nominations, particular for the latter one. He was signed up by Prabhu Deva for the Vijay
Joseph Vijay
Vijay is an Indian film actor and playback singer, who is based in the cinema of Tamil Nadu. He is the son of film producer and director S. A. Chandrasekhar. After performing uncredited roles as a child actor in films produced by his father, he made his debut in a lead role in the 1992 film...
-starrer Pokkiri
Pokkiri
Pokkiri is a 2007 Tamil action-thriller film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Vijay and Asin with Prakash Raj, Nassar, Vadivelu, Sriman and Napoleon playing supporting roles. Mumaith Khan and Prabhu Deva make guest appearances. Nirav Shah handled cinematography while Kola Bhaskar was the...
(2007) and by the director-duo Pushkar-Gayathri
Pushkar-Gayathri
-Filmography:...
for their debut venture Oram Po (2007). In 2008 then, Nirav Shah was called by noted filmmaker Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
to handle the camera for his forthcoming magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
science-fiction film Enthiran but Shah had to reject the invitation because he had already given his word to his friend Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
's Sarvam
Sarvam
Sarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D...
. He went on to work on the Hindi remake of Pokkiri, Wanted Dead and Alive
Wanted Dead and Alive
Wanted is a 2009 Bollywood action film, directed by Prabhu Deva, starring Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia in the lead roles. It is the second remake of 2006 Blockbuster Telugu film Pokiri. The film is about a young IPS officer, who goes undercover as a gangster to finish underworld. - Plot :Radhe...
, directed again by Prabhu Deva and Director Vijay's Madrasapattinam.
In July 2009, it was announced that Shah would soon turn film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, directing a film under actor Arya
Arya (actor)
Arya is an Indian film actor who mainly appears in Tamil films. He is best known for his roles in the films Pattiyal , Naan Kadavul , Madrasapattinam , and Boss Engira Bhaskaran.-Personal life:...
's production, starring Arya's brother Sathya
Sathya (actor)
Sathya is a Tamil film actor who will debut in the Tamil film, Kadhal 2 Kalyanam in the lead role. His elder brother is the prominent actor, Arya. Sathya has numbers of films to release.-Personal life:...
in the lead role. Besides, Shah is currently developing and building India's biggest film studio, located at the Old Mahabalipuram Road
Rajiv Gandhi Salai
Rajiv Gandhi Salai , previously known as Old Mahabalipuram Road or IT Corridor is a major road in suburban Chennai, India, beginning at the Madhya Kailash temple in Adyar and continuing south till Mahabalipuram, ultimately merging with the East Coast Road...
off Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which is said to cost around Rs. 100 crore.
Three of his films have been nominated at the National Award for the Best Cinematographer: Banaras (Hindi), Pattiyal (Tamil) and Dhoom 2 (Hindi). He won the Tamil Nadu Government's State Award for Best Cinematographer for Billa
Billa
This article is about the company. For the Indian movies see Billa starring Rajinikanth or Billa starring Ajith Kumar or Billa starring Prabhas....
(Tamil).
As cinematographer
- Paisa VasoolPaisa VasoolPaisa Vasool is a 2004 Indian film directed by Srinivas Bhashyam starring Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen. The film was produced by actress Manisha Koirala. The film is an uncredited remake of 2001 Hollywood movie High Heels and Low Lifes....
- (Hindi, 2004) - DhoomDhoomThe title track "Dhoom Dhoom" was released in a remixed version song by the Thai-American singer Tata Young. The song and it's music video featuring Tata Young proved to be a major hit in India during 2004 and 2005. The original song was sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Other tracks on the soundtrack...
- (Hindi, 2004) - Intequam - (Hindi, 2004)
- SandakozhiSandakozhiSandakozhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy and produced by Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Film Corporation. The film stars Vishal, Meera Jasmine, Rajkiran and Lal in lead roles, whilst Suman Setty, Raja, Shanmugarajan and Ganja Karuppu essay...
- (Tamil, 2005) - Arinthum AriyamalumArinthum AriyamalumArinthum Ariyamalum is a 2005 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan that stars Prakash Raj along with newcomers Arya, Navdeep and Samiksha in lead and Adithya and Krishna in supporting roles. The film's music is composed by top director, Yuvan Shankar Raja...
- (Tamil, 2005) - PattiyalPattiyalPattiyal is a 2006 Indian Tamil gangster film directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film tackles the issue of dons. It stars Arya, Bharath, Pooja Umashankar, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Cochin Haneefa and Santhana Bharathi in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja...
- (Tamil, 2005) - BanarasBanaras - A Mystic Love StoryBanaras: A Mystic Love Story is the name of an Indian Bollywood film directed by Pankaj Parashar released in 2006. The film takes place in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi and is centered around the relationship of a young woman with her parents and her lover...
- (Hindi, 2006) - Dhoom 2Dhoom 2Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,...
- (Hindi, 2006) - PokkiriPokkiriPokkiri is a 2007 Tamil action-thriller film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Vijay and Asin with Prakash Raj, Nassar, Vadivelu, Sriman and Napoleon playing supporting roles. Mumaith Khan and Prabhu Deva make guest appearances. Nirav Shah handled cinematography while Kola Bhaskar was the...
- (Tamil, 2007) - KireedamKireedam (2007 film)Kireedam is a 2007 Tamil film directed by A. L. Vijay, who made his directorial debut with the film. The film was a reworked version of Sibi Malayil's 1989 Malayalam classic film, Kireedam starring Mohanlal, with Na. Muthukumar assisting with writing the dialogues...
- Picturized for one Song only. - Oram Po - (Tamil, 2007)
- BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
- (Tamil, 2007) - SarvamSarvamSarvam is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic thriller film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has earlier directed highly successful Tamil films like Arinthum Ariyamalum , Pattiyal and Billa . Starring Arya and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles while J. D...
- (Tamil, 2009) - Wanted - (Hindi, 2009)
- Tamil Padam - (Tamil, 2010)
- Madrasapattinam - (Tamil, 2010)
- Va - (Tamil, 2010)
- VaanamVaanamVaanam is an Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by Krish. A remake of his 2010 Telugu film Vedam, the film features an ensemble cast of Silambarasan, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj and Saranya...
- (Tamil 2011) - Engeyum Kaadhal - (Tamil, 2011)
- Deiva ThirumagalDeiva ThirumagalDeiva Thirumagal is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by A. L. Vijay and produced by Mohan Natarajan that features Vikram in the lead role as a mentally challenged adult with the maturity of a six-year-old boy, while Baby Sarah, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul and Nassar portray other...
- (Tamil, 2011) - VettaiVettaiVettai is an upcoming Indian Tamil action film written and directed by N. Linguswamy, that stars Madhavan, Arya, Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul in the lead roles. The film revolves around two brothers settled in Thoothukudi, with the elder one working as a police officer...
- (Tamil, Filming) - Maalai Neram Mazhai Thuli - (Tamil, Filming)
Awards and nominations
- Won - Bollywood Movie Best Cinematography AwardBollywood Movie AwardsThe Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India.-History:...
- Dhoom 2Dhoom 2Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,...
(shared with Vikas Sivaraman) (2007) - Won - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best CinematographerTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best CinematographerThe Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Cinematographer is given by the state government as part of its annual Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
- BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
(2007) - Won - Cinema Rasigargal Sangam Best Cinematographer Award - BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
(2007) - Won - Isaiyaruvi Sunfeast Tamil Music Award for Best Cinematography - BillaBilla (2007 film)Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
(2007) - Nominated - Star Screen Award for Best Cinematography - DhoomDhoomThe title track "Dhoom Dhoom" was released in a remixed version song by the Thai-American singer Tata Young. The song and it's music video featuring Tata Young proved to be a major hit in India during 2004 and 2005. The original song was sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Other tracks on the soundtrack...
(2004)