Santosh Sivan receives prestigious Pierre Angenieux tribute at Cannes 2024

UPDATE: Renowned Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan has been recognised with the prestigious Pierre Angenieux ExcelLens in Cinematography at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Sivan has become the first Asian to receive this award.

Actor Preity Zinta presented the award to him at the iconic Palais de Festivals, celebrating the art of cinematography and the profound impact of Indian cinema on the global stage.

With the Cannes Film Festival's Pierre Angénieux award, Santosh joins a prestigious list of past recipients, who include Edward Lachman, Agnès Godard, Barry Ackroyd, and Roger Deakins

Earlier, we had reported that several celebrities lauded the ace cinematographer for this achievement. Shah Rukh Khan, who worked with Santosh on Dil Se and Asoka, stated in a conversation with Variety, "Santa’s work as a DoP is extremely unique and original, because it is seeped in his experiences and learnings of the Indian culture."

Aamir Khan, who collaborated with Santosh on 1989's Raakh, said, "His understanding of the film is not just that of a DoP; he understands the film from the point of view of other filmmakers.”

Santosh's longtime collaborator, director Mani Ratnam stated, "With him, there’s no situation that is very difficult to light because, from where he has come, he adapts everything that is around him and is able to give you a result with a unique Santosh Sivan stamp on it."

Mohanlal, who collaborated with the cinematographer on films such as Yoddha and Iruvar, stated, "Through his work, he has always mesmerised his audiences. His dedication to his craft and pursuit of excellence are well-known."

In 2013, Cannes started conferring cinematographers with an award named after Pierre Angénieux, a pioneer of modern zoom lenses. With the recognition, Santosh joins a set of past recipients that include the likes of Edward Lachman, Agnès Godard, Barry Ackroyd, and Roger Deakins.