Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan was awarded the prestigious Pierre Angeneux Excellence in Cinematography at a glittering ceremony at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The award was presented by actress Preity Zinta.
The event, held at the prestigious Palais de Festivals on Friday, celebrated the art of cinematography and the profound impact of Indian cinema on the global stage.
Dressed in a beautiful pink saree, Preity Zinta came on stage to present the award to her old colleague Sivan.
Her professional journey began with Mani Ratnam’s 1998 romantic drama ‘Dil Se’, where Sivan’s cinematography beautifully captured Zinta’s debut performance.
Their reunion at Cannes marks an important milestone in their careers, as they are set to work together again in the upcoming historical drama ‘Lahore 1947’ directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
The Pierre Agenaux Excellence in Cinematography Award, introduced in 2013, is given for outstanding contribution in the field of cinematography.
Santosh Sivan’s recognition is particularly notable as he is the first Asian to receive this honour, joining the ranks of legendary cinematographers such as Edward Lackman, Agnes Goddard, Barry Ackroyd and Roger Deakins.
Reflecting on his journey, Sivan expressed gratitude and nostalgia, and recalled his early use of Angenieux lenses in the Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Raakh’ (1989).
In an interview with Variety he said, “This award means a lot to me, as past recipients include DOPs like Zigmond and Deakins, whom I admire.”
Sivan’s illustrious career spans several decades, including over 55 feature films and numerous documentaries.
His notable collaborations with director Mani Ratnam in films such as ‘Roja’, ‘Thalapathi’, ‘Dil Se’ and ‘Iruvar’ have left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.
His cinematic artistry also extends to international projects such as Gurinder Chadha’s ‘Bride and Prejudice’ and MF Hussain’s ‘Meenakshi’.
Discussing his artistic philosophy, Sivan explained succinctly, “For me, light and shadow is melody, and the composition and movement of the camera is rhythm. If I feel these two things are in a shot, that’s when I get most excited; I love it.”
Sivan also spoke about his transition from celluloid to digital cinematography, marking this transition with his directorial debut ‘Urumi’ (2011) and going fully digital with ‘Thuppakki’ (2012).
