R. Chezhiyan Death: The death of R. Chezhiyan, an award-winning cinematographer and filmmaker, comes as a sad blow to the entire Tamil film industry as he breathes his last at the age of 57 in Chennai. R. Chezhiyan was known for his unique and realistic visuals and minimal story telling techniques, and it is unfortunate that the renowned filmmaker left us early on Friday morning in a private hospital located at Taramani, Chennai. His death signifies the closure of an era of parallel and realistic Tamil films.
R. Chezhiyan Reason of Death
R. Chezhiyan lost his life following a long fight with cancer. He was receiving aggressive treatment for his ailment at a private hospital in Taramani, Chennai. Despite the best efforts of his medical team, his condition worsened drastically on Friday morning. His death as a result of his ailment has shocked many people from the South Indian movie industry.
Early Life and Transition to Cinema
Chezhiyan comes from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, and was brought up in an atmosphere which valued the power of stories and narratives. While Chezhiyan completed his studies in Civil Engineering and made a career out of it, his passion always remained for the art of photography and visuals.
Fueled by this passion, he joined the world of films as an apprentice under the legendary cinematographer of Indian Cinema, P. C. Sreeram. As an independent cinematographer, Chezhiyan made his first venture with the youth drama Kalloori in the year 2007.
An Illustrious Career Behind the Camera
Prior to becoming a director, Chezhiyan had already established himself as one of the most highly regarded cinematographers in Kollywood. It is he who captured the visuals for some of the best and most socially relevant Tamil movies in recent times. Some of his important works as a director of photography include:
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Rettaisuzhi (2010)
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Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010) — Seenu Ramasamy’s National Award-winning village drama.
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Paradesi (2013) — Directed by Bala, Chezhiyan’s raw and haunting frames earned him the Best Cinematographer award at the London International Film Festival.
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Joker (2016) — Raju Murugan’s socio-political satire which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.
The Triumph of ‘To Let’ and Directorial Genius
In 2017, Chezhiyan entered the world of screenwriting and direction through his debut indie film To Let. The deeply moving movie chronicled the tough and painful reality of a middle-class family’s search for a rented house against the backdrop of the corporate development era in urban Chennai.
To Let earned international acclaim and won more than 32 international awards. Notably, the movie won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil, along with the prestigious Golden Bengal Tiger award at Kolkata International Film Festival.
There was no end to praise for Chezhiyan’s highly minimalist treatment of To Let. As a brave experiment in contrast to mainstream Indian commercial movies, Chezhiyan went ahead with no background music at all. He famously remarked,
“As we move closer towards realistic cinema, the first element to make an exit is music.”
Literature and Mentorship Legacy
But not only did he do his professional duties in the sets of films, but Chezhiyan was a great intellectual, film scholar, and mentor too. He wrote Ulaga Cinema (World Cinema), a very popular and respected series of books which originally appeared in the Ananda Vikatan magazine and continues to be the main source of knowledge for film students and fans of regional cinemas.
Chezhiyan also devoted himself to helping the community in a form of The Film School, where he personally educated many talented but poor independent film makers.
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Sunny Singh is a Journalist and Content Writer with a strong affinity for Bollywood and Hollywood insiders, music and more. Somewhat of a writer and poet himself, he thrives on giving life to words and deliver all you need to know about the entertainment sector.
