>Lfstevens at 18:15, 22 May 2021

2021-05-22T18:15:48Z

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{{Short description|Indian cinematographer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = B. R. Vijayalakshmi
| birth_name =
| birth_place = India
| occupation = [[Cinematographer]], screenwriter, director
| parents = [[B. R. Panthulu]] (father)
| spouse = S. Sunil Kumar
}}

'''B. R. Vijayalakshmi''' is an Indian [[cinematographer]].

== Early life ==
She is the daughter of veteran legendary film director and producer B.R.Panthulu (Pranav Padmanabhan), maker of [[Tamil films]] including Hero Shivaji Ganeshan's ''Veerapandiya kattaboman'', ''KARNAN'', and ''Kapal otiya tamizhan''.<ref name="BR">{{cite web|date=January 2004|title=An Interview with B.R. Vijayalakshmi (Cinematographer)|url=http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/brvijayalakshmi.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040131123208/http://www.chennaionline.com/interviews/brvijayalakshmi.asp|archive-date=2004-01-31|access-date=16 May 2015|work=Chennai Online}}</ref>

He died while she was in college. She decided to devote herself to cinema.

== Career ==
She worked as an interior designer before entering into films.

She started her career as an assistant to cinematographer [[Ashok Kumar (cinematographer)|Ashok Kumar]] who convinced her to leave film school to work as a camera assistant.<ref name="hindu1">{{cite news|last1=Khajane|first1=Muralidhara|date=25 August 2011|title=The lens view|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/the-lens-view/article2396942.ece|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> She worked for Kumar on the 1980 Tamil film ''[[Nenjathai Killathe]]'' and continued for nearly 30 films over the next three years.<ref name="BR" /><ref name="CE">{{cite web|last1=ராஜா|first1=செந்தில் நாதன்|title=உதிர்ந்தது ஓர் உதிரிப் பூ!|url=http://www.cinemaexpress.com/cinemaexpress/story.aspx?Title=%E0%AE%89%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81+%E0%AE%93%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D+%E0%AE%89%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D+%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%82!&artid=112243&SectionID=144&MainSectionID=144&SectionName=Fashion&SEO=|access-date=18 November 2014|website=Cinema Express|language=Tamil}}</ref> During this time she did "Clash work" for films such as ''[[Kai Kodukkum Kai]]'' (1984) and ''[[Pillai Nila]]'' (1985).<ref name="CE" />

Her feature film debut came in 1985 with the Tamil film ''[[Chinna Veedu]]''. Known as [[Cinema of Asia|Asia]]'s first woman cinematographer, Vijayalakshmi has worked in 22 feature films<ref name="BR" /><ref name="CE" /><ref name="hindu3">{{cite news|last1=Umashanker|first1=Sudha|date=13 June 2006|title=As candid as her lens|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/as-candid-as-her-lens/article3194346.ece|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> between 1985 and 1995. Her films included ''[[Aruvadai Naal]]'' (1986), ''[[Sirai Paravai]]'' (1987) and ''[[Iniya Uravu Poothathu]]'' (1987) for directors including [[C. V. Sridhar]] and [[G. M. Kumar]]. She wrote the script for [[Sangeeth Sivan]]'s [[Malayalam]] film ''[[Daddy (1992 film)|Daddy]]'' (1992). In 1995, she made her directorial debut through ''[[Paattu Padava]]'' for which she wrote the script and handled the cinematography.<ref name="hindu2">{{cite news|last1=Rangarajan|first1=Malathi|date=27 March 2000|title=Success for the asking|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2000/03/27/stories/09270222.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141109145636/http://www.thehindu.com/2000/03/27/stories/09270222.htm|archive-date=9 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="hindu4">{{cite news|last1=Rangarajan|first1=Malathi|date=2 May 2002|title=A winning combination|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/05/02/stories/2002050200050200.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020928061056/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/05/02/stories/2002050200050200.htm|archive-date=28 September 2002}}</ref> The film was screened at the [[International Film Festival of India]] in 1996 and it was known for its songs by [[Ilaiyaraaja]].<ref name="hindu1" />

In addition to her film career, she worked on many [[television series]] including ''My Dear Boodham'' (My Dear Ddevil), ''Velan'', and ''Raja'' ''Rajeswari.''

She is the first to have brought computer graphics to Tamil TV shows. She has done other south Indian soap operas such as ''Athipookkal'' ''Valli''. After her wedding she left films and entered television.<ref name="hindu1" /> Children's serial ''Vasantham Colony'' was her first attempt at TV.<ref name="BR" /> ''Maya Machindra'' ([[Vijay TV]]) and ''[[List of TV shows aired on Sun TV (India)#Weekly Serials|Velan]]'' ([[Sun TV (India)|Sun TV]]) are among the other prominent television series that she has worked on.<ref name="hindu2" />

She was appointed as the creative head of [[Saregama]], an Indian music company. In September 2005, she became the business head of the TV Software Division of the company.<ref name="hindu3" /> Saregama later moved into the manufacturing and sales of radio-like [[MP3 players]] called caravona.

== Personal life ==
Her brother B.R. Ravishankar is a film-maker in [[Kannada cinema]].<ref name="BR" /><ref name="CE" /> He is an [[Indian Institutes of Technology|IIT]] graduate. He entered cinema after the death of his father.

She is a friend of actress/film maker Suhasini since childhood. Manirathnam was a close teenage friend of B.R.Ravi (Vijayalakshmi's brother) which led to Suhasini-Manirthnam's romantic marriage.

Vijayalakshmi married Sunil Kumar, a sound recordist and has a son with him.

==Partial filmography==

===As cinematographer===
{{div col}}
* ''[[Chinna Veedu]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Aruvadai Naal]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Iniya Uravu Poothathu]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Sirai Paravai]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Therkathi Kallan]]'' (1988)
* ''[[December 31 (film)|December 31]]'' (1988)
* ''[[En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Poruthathu Pothum]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Mallu Vetti Minor]]'' (1990)
* ''Manasara Vazhthungalen'' (1991)
* ''[[Manitha Jaathi]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Thalattu Ketkuthamma]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Vetri Padigal]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Kottai Vaasal]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Therku Theru Machan]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Thalattu]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Ravanan (1994 film)|Ravanan]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Paattu Padava]]'' (1995)
{{div col end|2}}

===As writer===
* ''[[Daddy (1992 film)|Daddy]]'' (1992)
* ''Paattu Padava'' (1995)

===As director===
* ''Paattu Padava'' (1995)
* ''Basket'' (2002)
* ''[[Abhi & Anu]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Abhi & Anu|Abhiyude Kadha Anuvinteyum]]'' (2018) - Malayalam

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayalakshmi, B. R.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women cinematographers]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:Tamil film cinematographers]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:People from Kolar]]
[[Category:Women artists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Film directors from Karnataka]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Cinematographers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

B. R. Vijayalakshmi - Revision history

>Lfstevens at 18:15, 22 May 2021