This is the first-ever frame that came with the artful stamp of KV Anand. Thenmavin Kombathu - 1994
His first onscreen credit as a cinematographer...Thenmavin Kombathu - 1994Anand loved to play with colours. This is the first frame from his work in Minnaram (1994)Minnaram - 1994Minnaram - 1994Another framing device that was close to Anand's heart - windows Minnaram - 1994Playing with colours and technology in 1994KV Anand made his Tamil debut with the 1996 film, Kadhal DesamThe iconic flower road in the Kalluri Salai number Kadhal Desam (1996)Anand's favourites in play. colours, lights and silhouettesKadhal DesamFriendship as vast as this frame was explored in the film, starring Vineeth and AbbasCover picture material for both Vineeth and AbbasUnderwater romance between Abbas and Tabu in KAdhal Desam (1996)Tabu walks away many a time, and KV Anand tracked each of these shots to give us more than one of these framesLet's end the Kadhal Desam retrospective with this iconic frame... Saar, Tabu Saar.For his next Tamil film, KV Anand signed on Vasanth's Nerukku Ner (1997), an interesting take on Agni Natchathiram, a film known for its cinematography by his guru, PC SreeramThis was the first time we saw Suriya on screen. The actor would go on to act in three of KV Anand's directorials -- Ayan, Maattraan, KaappaanEverything fell into place for the Manam Virumbudhey number. Simran shone resplendently in his lensAnother Simran ShowcaseA Goa-based song, a calm party number with a wonderful play with neon lights and moreFeaturing an uber-cool Vijay dancing his way into our hearts, Anand gave him the platform to exhibit his inner cutenessSushmita Sen. Blazing lights. Reverse processing. Anand Shakalaka'd technical brilliance into this 1999 blockbuster, MudhalvanThe village portions allowed Anand to have fun with nature he very much loved to portray on screenSet pieces became a thing with KV Anand thanks to his collaboration with ShankarHave you ever wondered how a voyeur behind a waterfall would look at a couple in love? No?? Nevertheless, KV Anand gave us an ideaLook at this video to see how the swords glisten in this game of snakes and laddersWater. Mountains. Arjun and Manisha Koirala. Mudhalvan - 1999Moving up north for his first original Hindi film, Anand got to lens the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Mansoor Khan's 2000 film, JoshHere's viewing the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai through the wonderful perspective of AnandAnother play with lights and silhouettes. We'll see him use it a lot more in almost every film of his. But when one can make it stand out every single time, who's complaining?This here is one of my most favourite frames lensed by Anand. Shah Rukh's iconic gesture against what is made to be the moon... Anand was a genius!The road less travelled? The waves of the long-winding road allow Chandrachur Singh to fall in love with the beauty that is Aishwarya RaiAnand seems to have always loved the contrast provided by the beaches and mountains. Here's one more example of his love for this landscapeIn his next Hindi film, the 2001 Shankar film, Nayak, a remake of his very own Mudhalvan, Anand showed how he could bring in variety to the same thing.Snakes and Ladders, yet again.Green. Blue. Yellow. And a lot of Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji.Let's go back in time to KV Anand's first period film, The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)As Bhagat and his friends went around singing about their love for the country, Anand was right ahead capturing them in all their gloryYou can't really separate Anand from framing his heroes in front of a rock or a mountain or any other nature's gift. Here's Ajay Devgn as Bhagat.Barren landscapes done, we now move on to Anand's other favourite, the waters. Amidst raging waters, we see Ajay as Bhagat guiding everyone to the shoreLights... frames... can a prison really jail a revolutionary like Bhagat? Anand didn't think so, and he shows how those cells are just constructs for an idea like Bhagat SinghVishal must have thanked his lucky stars that it was the lens of KV Anand that first showed him on the big screen. The last time Anand worked with a debutant hero, the actor was SuriyaChellame featured such gorgeous shots that showcased the strength of Anand. The blues. The waters. The wide shots.In contrast, Anand had fun with this number in a dustbowl. The usual snakes and ladders being replaced by a game of chess.It was in 2004 that Anand last worked in a Bollywood film. It was Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee, which also marked Anand's first time filming a big-ticket multi-starrerOne more favourite frame of KV Anand. Bullets. Darkness, and of course, the light seeping in through them.How does he manage to frame these gorgeous shots? He had a penchant for spotting the light waves and used it to the best of his advantage.This song looks different. It has an almost ethereal yet staged quality. How can something be so original and artificial at the same time? KV Anand could strike that balanceAnd then we come to what was to become his final full-length feature. By this time, he was a one-film-old director too. But he returned... For Shankar. For Rajinikanth. For Sivaji (2007)In Vaaji Vaaji, KV Anand is said to have used the Super 35 mm single-sensor electronic camera to give the song a glossy feel. Well, he delivered!Each frame is a painting in the song. And this is not just restricted to Vaaji Vaaji. What about the fancy carnivalesque nature of AthiradeeThe team turned a normal shooting spot into something sort of Venice of the East. The grandeur was unmatched but was almost equalled in the technically brilliant Style songThe various getups, the VFX, the quirkiness, the mirrors, everything... played right into the KV Anand zone... and he lapped it up like only he could.One Rajini. Two Rajini. Three. Four Rajini. Five Rajini. Six. Getting back into the setpieces format of song shooting, KV Anand made quite the splash with this Rajini intro numberIf Vaaji Vaaji is a painting, Sahana is one too. Everything subtly screams beauty in this exquisite numberNot saying anything, except... Wowonce again...just WOWWell... in his final work as a cinematographer, KV Anand appears briefly in the Balleilakka number, nodding his head along with director Shankar, Rajini, and art director Thotta TharaniHis last onscreen credit as a cinematographer... Well, thank you for the visuals and ever-lasting memories, KV Anand... Wherever you are, paint that world in silhouettes and shadows... Thank you.