Preity Zinta and Santosh Sivan | Photo credit: LOIC VENANCE
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 des 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 graced the stage to present the award to her longtime collaborator Sivan.
His professional journey began with Mani Ratnam’s 1998 romantic drama film. from the heartJahan Sivan’s cinematography beautifully captured Zinta’s debut performance. Their reunion at Cannes will prove to be an important milestone in their careers, as they are set to work together again in the upcoming period drama. Lahore 1947, Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
The Pierre Agenaux Excellence in Cinematography Award, instituted in 2013, is given for outstanding contributions to the field of cinematography. Santosh Sivan’s recognition is particularly noteworthy as he is the first Asian to receive this honour, joining the ranks of legendary cinematographers such as Edward Lachman, Agnes Godard, Barry Ackroyd and Roger Deakins.
Reflecting on his journey, Sivan expressed gratitude and nostalgia, recalling his early use of Angenieux lenses in the film ash (1989), starring Aamir Khan. In an interview with Variety, he said, “This award means a lot to me as past recipients include DOPs I admire, including Zigmond and Deakins.”
Sivan’s illustrious career spans decades, including more than 55 feature films and several documentaries. His notable films with director Mani Ratnam include: Roja, Thalapathy, Dil Se, And Iruvar Has left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.
His cinematic artistry also extends to international projects such as Gurinder Chadha bride and Prejudice and M.F. Husain’s Meenakshi. Discussing his artistic philosophy, Sivan candidly explained, “For me, light and shadow is the melody, and the composition and movement of the camera is the rhythm. If I feel both of these things are in a shot, I get most excited, I love it.” Sivan also spoke about his transition from celluloid to digital cinematography, a change he marked with his directorial venture urumi (2011) and full adoption of digital Thuppakki (2012).
