Born: ?, Thiruvananthapuram [also known by its anglicized name Trivandrum], Kerala, India, as the son of a doc filmmaker.

Education: Loyola School, Trivandrum; Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum; Film and Television Institute of India, Pune [graduated in 1984].

Career: Ph music videos. Founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers [ISC] in December 1995. The prod of 'Asoka' was documented in the book 'The Making of Asoka - A Santosh Sivan Picture' written by Mushtaq Shiekh. Formed the prod company 'HandMade Films' with Sunil Doshi. Also active as director [see below]. His brothers Sanjiv and Sangeeth are film dir.

Awards: As doph: National Award 'Best Cinematography' [1990] for 'Perumthachan' & 'Mohiniyattam'; Filmfare Award [1995] for 'Barsaat'; Filmfare Award [1998] for 'Dil Se'; Filmfare Award [2001] & International Indian Film Academy 'Award for Technical Excellence' [2002] for 'Asoka'; Screen Weekly 'Screen' Award [2005] & Zee Cine Technical Award nom [2005] for 'Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities'.

As dir: Cairo IFF 'Best Director' [1998], Chicago International Children's FF 'Adult's Jury Award' 2nd place [1999] & Independent Spirit Award 'Best Foreign Film' nom [2001] for 'Malli'; Seattle IFF 'Emerging Masters Showcase Award' [2000]; Ale Kino! – International Young Audience FF 'Poznan Goat' for 'Best Director' [2000] & Sarajevo FF 'Panorama Jury Award' Honorable Mention [2000] for 'The Terrorist'; Filmfare Award 'Best Director' & 'Best Film' nom [2002] & Screen Weekly 'Screen' Award nom [2002] for 'Asoka'.

Website: Santosh Sivan

Santosh Sivan on 'The Terrorist': 'The film is made on a very low budget, in fact, nothing at all. And it is all acted by purely non-professionals. I want to make films that are very real, even though I make my bread and butter shooting commercial musical films, but when I want to make a film, I want to make it as real and as interesting as possible. So I have made it without those entertainment elements like fights, songs and all that, so you can do what you want. That freedom I get only when we make such films on a small budget, and say something. [...] I'm a professional cinematographer. It was filmed in 17 days, that's all we took. It was done in Madras. And a little bit in Kerala. I studied film. I'm very well known as a cinematographer. I made one film before, for children. Now I'm making another film for children. I wanted to do this film, so I said, I'll make a very serious film. I want to make quite a few more films, on my terms, which I will definitely get around to making.' [From interview with David Walsh on the World Socialist Web Site, October 1998.]

1987        Oru Maymasappularayil [V.R. Gopinath] c; 151m

1988        The Story of Tiblu [Santosh Sivan] ?; short/?m

1988        Kandathum Kettathum [Balachandra Menon] ?

1988        Kadal Theerathu/On the Seashore [T. Rajeevnath] c

1988        David David Mr. David [Viji Thampi] ?

1989        Raakh/Ashes [Aditya Bhattacharya] c; 153m

1989        No: 20 Madras Mail [Joshi] c; 177m; cph: Anandakuttan & Jayanan Vincent

1989        New Year [Viji Thampi] ?

1989        Midhya [I.V. Sasi] c

1989        Kaalal Pada [Viji Thampi] ?

1990        Vyooham/Vyuham [Sangeeth Sivan] c

1990        Varthamana Kalam [I.V. Sasi] c

1990        Indrajalam [Thampi Kannathanam] ?

1990        Dr. Pasupathy [Shaji Kailas] ?

1990        Mohiniyattam [Santosh Sivan (?)] c; dance doc/?m

1990        Perunthachan/The Master Carpenter [Ajayan] c

1990        Sunday 7.P.M. [Shaji Kailas] ?

1991        Abhayam/Shelter [Sangeeth Sivan] ?

1991        Thalapathi/Dal-pati [Mani Ratnam] c

1991        Indira [Nripen Mohla] c

1992        Daddy [Sangeeth Sivan] c

1992        Aham [T. Rajeevnath] c

1992        Yodha/Ashokan/Dharam Yodha [Sangeeth Sivan] c

1992        Roja/The Rose [Mani Ratnam] scope/c

1993        Gandharvam [Sangeeth Sivan] c; 155m

1993        Rudaali/The Mourner [Kalpana Lazmi] c; cph: Dharam Gulati

1993        Gardish [Priyadarshan] c

1993        Johny [Sangeeth Sivan] ?

1994        Pavithram [Rajeev Kumar] c

1995        Nirnnayam [Sangeeth Sivan] c; 165m

1995        Barsaat [Rajkumar Santoshi] c

1995        Indira/Priyanka [Suhasini Mani Ratnam] c; 143m

1995        Kalaa Paani/Kalapani/Saza-E-Kala Pani/Sirai Chaalai [Priyadarshan] c

1996        Pukar/The Call [Rajkumar Santoshi] c; cph: Baba Azmi & Ashok Mehta

1996        Iruvar/Iddaru/The Duo [Mani Ratnam] b&w-c; 140m & 118m

1996        Darmiyan [Kalpana Lazmi] c

1997        Aastha/Aastha in the Prison of Spring [Basu Bhattacharya] c; cph: Khokon Bhaduri

1997        Halo [Santosh Sivan] c; + scrpl

1997        The Terrorist/Theeviravaathi [Santosh Sivan] c: + co-scrpl

1997        Vaanaprastham/Vanaprastham/The Last Dance/Pilgrimage [Shaji Karun] scope/c; cph: Renato Berta

1998        Dil Se.../Prema Tho/Uyire/From the Heart [Mani Ratnam] s35/c; 163m

1999        Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani [Aziz Mirza] c

1999        Malli [Santosh Sivan] c

1999        Fiza [Khalid Mohamed] scope/b&w-c

2000        Marudha Naayagam [Kamala Haasan] c

2001        Asoka/Ashoka the Great [Santosh Sivan; assoc dir: Vishnu Vardhan] scope/c; director's cut (158m) & producer's

                    version (180m); + co-scrpl

2002        Tehzeeb [Khalid Mohamed] c; 143m

2003        Bride and Prejudice - A Bollywood Musical [Gurinder Chadha] c

2003        Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities [M.F. Hussain; assoc dir: Owais Hussain] c

2003        Prithvi [Santosh Sivan] first project of HandMade Films; status unknown

2004        Aparichithan [Sanjiv Sivan] c

2004        Silsiilay [Khalid Mohamed] c

2005        The Mistress of Spices [Paul Mayeda Berges] c

2005        Navarasa/Nine Emotions [Santosh Sivan] c; + co-prod/scrpl; prod HandMade Films

2005        Anandabhadram [Santosh Sivan] c; assoc ph: Manoj Pillai

2006        Before the Rains/Road to the Sky [Santosh Sivan] c; 2uc: Alphonse Roy

2007        Prarambha/The Beginning [Santosh Sivan] scope/c; short/14m; ep of 4-part series on AIDS awareness; other ep:

                    'Migration' dir by Mira Nair, 'Blood Brothers' dir by Vishal Bhardwaj & 'Positive' dir by Farhan Akhtar; prod Bill & Melinda

                    Gates Foundation

2007        Tahaan [- a boy with a grenade] [Santosh Sivan] scope/c; + co-scrpl

1988        The Story of Tiblu [short; + ph] see Films

1990        Mohiniyattam [doc; + ph] see Films

1997        Halo [children's film; + scrpl/ph] see Films

1997        The Terrorist/Theeviravaathi [+ co-scrpl/ph] see Films

1999        Malli [children's film; + ph] see Films

2001        Asoka/Ashoka the Great [+ co-scrpl/ph] see Films

2003        Prithvi [+ ph] see Films

2005        Navarasa/Nine Emotions [+ ph] see Films

2005        Anandabhadram [+ ph] see Films

2006        Before the Rains/Road to the Sky [+ ph] see Films

2007        Prarambha/The Beginning [short; + ph] see Films

2007        Wedding Party [feature for BBC Films] announced

2007        Tahaan [+ co-scrpl/ph] see Films

1998        Kuch Kuch Hota Hai/Something Is Happening [Karan Johar] co-thanks; ph: Santosh Thundiiayil