N L Balakrishnan

N L Balakrishnan was an Indian actor and photographer. Narayanan Lakshmi Balakrishnan started as a still photographer in Indian cinema and went on towards acting for Malayalam films. He was born on 17th April 1943 as Velayudhan to Narayanan and Lakshmi in Thiruvananthapuram near Chempazhanthy (Powdikonam). He has a diploma from College of Fine Arts in painting. Balakrishnan was also trained in still photography by working in various studios like Sivan Studio, Rupalekha Studio, and Metro Studio. He was introduced to the film industry by Rupalekha Studio’s K. Neelakanta Pillai. He met with Sobhana Parameswaran Nair Sobhana Parameswaran Nair was a film producer work >> Read More... , producer, who hired him as a still photographer in his super hit movie Kallichellamma in 1967.

Balakrishnan has photographed for almost 170 films. He was the foremost to click snapshots during the filming of a movie. Earlier, the photos were clicked once the shot was over. The actor actresses used to pose for the snaps after the shoot. Balakrishnan was also the one who used to click pictures without flash, in natural light, and that made his stills look natural. He was the still photographer of the unit of movies of G. Aravindan –master director. He has worked with him in eleven films like Pokkuveyil, Kanchana Sita, Vasthuhara, and Chidambaram. He has also collaborated with other famous directors like K.P Kumaran, John Abraham Like some of our sexy stars, John Abraham has had >> Read More... , Bharathan, Lenin Rajendran A renowned name in Malayalam cinema, Lenin Rajendr >> Read More... , K. G. George, and P. Padmarajan.

He was also associated with Adoor Gopalakrishnan Born into a family in Kerala, Adoor Gopalakrishnan >> Read More... for films including Kodiyettam, Prathisandhi, Swayamvaram, Elippathayam, and Mukhamukham. Prathisandhi was a documentary motion picture framed for United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Balakrishnan was involved with P. Padmarajan for films like Novemberinte Nashtam, Peruvazhiyambalam, Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal, Innale, and Oridathoru Phayalvaan. His final work as a still photographer was in Spadikam by Bhadran in 1995. Soon, after he got popular as a still photographer, he started getting offers to act in movies. His debut film was Ammanam Kili by Rajiv Anchal Rajiv Anchal is an Indian Film Director, Sculptor, >> Read More... . Anchal was known to Balakrishnan since the days of film Oridath when both of them were working with Aravindan.

Anchal chose Balakrishnan to work with him in his first independent direction as a gypsy in the motion picture. After this movie, Balakrishnan did many other pictures. The count is more than 180. His bulky physique was used to draw in a comic outcome in movies. Some of the movies to his credit are Joker, The Mother Earth, Malootty, Three Men Army, Robo, Aparaahnam, Inspector Garud, Shikkar, Da Thadiya, Dr. Pasupathy, Varnam, Saandram, Made in USA, Kandahar, Mukha Chithram, Aayirappara, Pattanapravesham, Pakal Nakshatrangal, David David Mr. David, and Kanyaka Talkies Click to look into! >> Read More... . His last work as an actor was in the film Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus by Marathandan in 2013.

Balakrishnan was a photojournalist too. He teamed up with Kerala Kaumudi from 1968 to 1979 i.e. for a span of eleven years. He had also written and published a book, 'Black and White.' Balakrishnan also headed a pro- drinking group called Forum for Better Spirit in Kerala. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He was also had a medical condition of diabetes and other ailments because of his age. He succumbed to the disease on 25th December 2014. Now his family consists only of his wife Nalini and their son Rajan. He was described as “historian in a photographer’s garb” by a renowned film critic of Malayalam cinema C. S. Venkiteswaran. He was awarded Chalachithra Prathiba Award by Kerala Film Critics Association Awards and a Special Award by Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.