P. S. Nivas

Biography:

Panayamparambil Sreenivasan, often known as P. S. Nivas, was an Indian cinematographer, director, and producer who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema.

He was born on May 27, 1946, and passed away on February 1, 2021. He won the 1976 Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam’s National Film Award for Best Cinematography. He frequently collaborated with Bharathiraja, with whom he had eight films together.

Nivas, who was raised in Panayam Parambil, East Nadakkavu, Calicut, completed his studies at St. Joseph’s College in Devagiri before enrolling at the Institute of Film Technology in Adyar, Madras, to earn a diploma in motion picture photography.

Nivas began his cinema career in 1971 as an operational camera operator in the Malayalam film Kuttyedathi, directed by P. N. Menon. He worked as an apprentice for Ashok Kumar in movies including Mappusakshi (1972), Chembarathi (1972), and Dhakam (1972) and Swapnam (1973) starring Babu Nanthankode.

Sathyathinte Nizhalil, which was directed by Nanthankode, was his debut feature film as an independent cinematographer. For the 1976 Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam, Nivas received the National Film Award for Best Cinematography (Black and White).

Nivas debuted in Tamil cinema with Bharathiraja’s 1977 film 16 Vayathinile. He later collaborated with the director on movies including Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Kizhake Pogum Rail (1978), and Solva Sawan (1978).

Additionally, he took pictures for C. V. Sridhar’s Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu and Vayasu Pilichindi, the Telugu version of the film (1978). Nimajjanam, a Telugu film, won him the 1978 Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer. In Saagara Sangamam, he collaborated with K. Viswanath as well (1983). Nivas passed away in Calicut on February 1, 2021.