GarnetWelton89 at 15:52, 17 March 2026

2026-03-17T15:52:45Z

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{{Short description|Indian cinematographer}}
{{distinguish|M. Sukumaran}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = M. Sukumar
| image = Kumki Latest Unseen Onlocation Stills.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| occupation = Cinematographer
| website =
| footnotes =
| years_active = 2006{{endash}}present
| relatives = [[M. Jeevan]] (brother)
}}

'''M. Sukumar''' is an Indian [[cinematographer]], who has worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi-language films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinestaan.com/people/m-sukumar-93952|title=M Sukumar movies, filmography, biography and songs - Cinestaan.com|website=Cinestaan}}</ref>

==Career==
Sukumar began his career in 1995 by assisting his brother [[M. Jeevan]], who had then, broken into the Tamil film industry as a photographer. While studying for his degree in agriculture, Sukumar stepped in to assist Jeevan for a shoot of [[Rajiv Menon]]'s ''[[Minsara Kanavu]]'' (1997).<ref name="bwd">{{cite web|url=http://behindwoods.com/tamil-cinematographer/sukumar/an-exclusive-interview-with-ace-cinematographer-sukumar.html|title = An exclusive interview with ace cinematographer, Sukumar}}</ref> He subsequently continued working as an assistant photographer in films including ''[[Minnale]]'' (2001), ''[[Samurai (2002 film)|Samurai]]'' (2002) and ''[[King (2002 film)|King]]'' (2002) and struck up a good relationship with the lead actor [[Vikram (actor)|Vikram]]. His association with Vikram later led to him being offered the role as the main photographer for the actor's films including ''[[Dhool]]'' (2003) and ''[[Majaa]]'' (2005).<ref name="bwd"/> While launching ''[[Kokki (film)|Kokki]]'' (2006), director [[Prabhu Solomon]] asked Sukumar to make his first foray into cinematography but his reluctance meant that his brother Jeevan, was handed the opportunity. Towards the end of the shoot, Jeevan became busy with other projects and Sukumar was brought in to work on a few portions in the film, including a song shoot in [[Chalakudi]].<ref name="bwd"/>

After ''Kokki'', he worked on other Prabhu Solomon films including ''[[Laadam]]'' (2009), ''[[Mynaa]]'' (2010) and ''[[Kumki (film)|Kumki]]'' (2012), the latter two, winning him acclaim and fetching him opportunities to work in big budget ventures. Critics described his work as "spellbinding", and both films became critical and commercial successes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/kumki-review-tamil-15015385.html |title=Movie Review : Kumki |website=[[Sify]] |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112170913/http://www.sify.com/movies/kumki-review-tamil-15015385.html |accessdate=2022-08-09|archive-date=12 January 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://behindwoods.com/new-videos/videos-q1-09/director-interview/prabhu-solomon.html |title=Prabhu Solomon - Tamil Cinema Director Interview - Prabhu Solomon | Kamal Haasan | Udayanidhi Stalin | Mynaa | Kamal |publisher=Behindwoods.com |date= |accessdate=2022-08-09}}</ref> His work in ''[[Maan Karate]]'' and ''[[Nimirndhu Nil]]'' (2014), meant that he was unable to continue working with Solomon in ''[[Kayal (film)|Kayal]]'' (2012). [[AR Murugadoss]] also picked Sukumar to work on a single song in his Hindi action film ''[[Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty|Holiday]]'' (2014), during a shoot in [[Rajasthan]].<ref name="bwd"/>

==Filmography==
{|class="wikitable sortableplainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col" |Year
!scope="col" |Title
!scope="col" |Language
!scope="col" |Notes
|-
| 2006
|''[[Kokki (film)|Kokki]]''
| Tamil
| 1 song
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009
|''[[Laadam]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Madurai Sambavam]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |2010
| ''[[Mynaa]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Veluthu Kattu]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="3" |2012
| ''[[Thadaiyara Thaakka]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Kumki (film)|Kumki]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Yaare Koogadali]]''
| Kannada
|
|-
|rowspan="4" |2014
|''[[Nimirndhu Nil]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Maan Karate]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|''[[Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty|Holiday]]''
| Hindi
| 1 song
|-
| ''[[Mosakutty]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="4" |2015
|''[[Kaaki Sattai]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Janda Pai Kapiraju]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| ''[[Thoppi]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|''Kandupidi Kandupidi''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="3" |2016
|''[[Gethu]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Dharma Durai (2016 film)|Dharma Durai]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|''[[Veera Sivaji]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|2017
| ''[[Bairavaa]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |2018
| ''[[Sketch (2018 film)|Sketch]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Chi La Sow]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Manmadhudu 2]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| 2020
| ''[[Varmaa]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="4" |2021
|''[[Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| ''[[Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Republic (film)|Republic]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| ''[[Thaen (film)|Thaen]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2022
| ''[[Maamanithan (film)|Maamanithan]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Yashoda (film)|Yashoda]]''
| Telugu
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2024
| ''[[Singapore Saloon]]''
| Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Rathnam (film)|Rathnam]]''
|Tamil
|
|-
| ''[[Thiru.Manickam]]''
|Tamil
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |2025 || ''[[Thalaivan Thalaivii]]'' || Tamil ||
|-
| ''[[Kumki 2]]'' || Tamil ||
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=2625232}}

{{Tamil Nadu State Film Award Best Cinematography}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sukumar, M.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Artists from Madurai]]
[[Category:Telugu film cinematographers]]
[[Category:Tamil cinematographers]]
[[Category:Malayalam film cinematographers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Cinematographers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

M. Sukumar - Revision history

GarnetWelton89 at 15:52, 17 March 2026