One of the most acclaimed cinematographers in the Indian film industry, Santosh Sivan is noted for his work in the South Indian film industry, especially in Malayalam cinema. The winner of 11 National Film Awards and several International recognitions, he is the founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC). Santosh who made his film debut with Nidhyiude Katha (1986), in a span of over 30 years, has worked in more than 40 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu language films. For his outstanding contribution to cinema, he was awarded the Padmashree by the President of India in 2014. His 2020 release includes Darbar.