7 Memorable Movies of A Vincent

A Vincent, the ace cinematographer and director who passed away this morning, had a career spanning four and half decades. He is known for his distinct style of cinematography and has handled camera for almost 80 movies. He has directed over 30 films in Malayalam and Tamil.

In 1974, he won the Filmfare award for Best Cinematography for his Hindi film, Prem Nagar.

Here is a list of 7 most memorable movies of A Vincent:

Kalyana Parisu (Tamil): He is closely associated with director CV Sridhar and has worked as cinematographer in most of his films. The movie was a complete entertainer and was appreciated for its cinematography, direction and screenplay. A Vincent’s cinematography was one of the contributing factors for Kadhal Parisu‘s success.

Bhaktha Prahalada (Tamil): Bhaktha Prahalada is a devotional film about Lord Narasimha. Vincent, who handled camera for the film, used a special technique called ‘one-turn work’ for a scene where Lord Narasimha comes out from a pillar to kill Hiranyakashipu. He used a Mitchell camera to execute the technique.

Kadhalikka Neramillai (Tamil): This film is special for many reasons. It was the first film to be released in Eastman Color and was shot in a record time of 30 days. It has been 50 years since Kadhalikka Neramillai released and it remains as one of the greatest comedy films ever. A. Vincent’s cinematography in the movie, which captured Ooty and Marina Beach splendidly, was much appreciated

Nadhi (Malayalam): He also directed the critically-acclaimed Malayalam film Nadhi, which talks about two Christian families in Kerala. The entire movie was shot on the banks of river Periyar and for the shoot, they had to convert ordinary boats into boat houses. Vincent also worked on a river set erected at the AVM Studios. Nadhi was a trend setting film in Malayalam.

Enga Veetu Pillai (Tamil): Starring MGR and Saroja Devi, Enga Veetu Pillai was directed by Chanakya and produced by Vijaya Vauhini Studios. Speaking to The Hindu, Vincent had stated that he was given only 45 days to shoot this film in which MGR appears in dual roles. So instead using a dupe, the cinematographer employed a characteristic lighting technique for a particular scene which featured both characters played by MGR.

Uthama Puthiran (Tamil): Vincent composed zoom shots for this movie when zoom lenses were not available in India. He actually borrowed a French tourist’s camera and used the lens in his camera for the zooming effect. He filmed a song in 16 mm and sent it to the Kodak lab in London asking them to blow it to 36mm. Seeing his work, technicians working in Kodak lab were awestruck.

Bhargavi Nilayam (Malayalam): Bhargavi Nilayam was Vincent’s directorial debut in Malayalam. This film is regarded as the first horror story in Malayalam. The technical side of the film was brilliant. Vincent’s skills as the director and cinematographer made it one of the best horror movies of all time.

[Featured Image Credit: Manoramaonline.com]