Rajiv Menon

Quick Facts

Full Name	Rajiv Menon
Occupation	Cinematographer
Date Of Birth	Apr 20, 1963(1963-04-20)
Age	61
Birthplace	Kochi
Country	India
Birth City	Kerala
Horoscope	Aries

Rajiv Menon Biography

Rajiv Menon is one of the most popular and richest Cinematographer who was born on April 20, 1963 in Kochi, Kerala, India. Menon was exposed to television through his youth travels. He only saw war films at group screenings at the naval base, such as The Guns of Navarone (1961). After his family moved to Visakhapatnam he began to be interested in cinema and was impressed with a mix of Hindi and Malayalam films like Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Chemmeen (65), Nirmalyam (73), Yaadon Ki Baaraat(73)). Menon moved to Madras at the age of fifteen, and spent his formative years there. Menon lost his father in the same period and was left without any guidance. He didn’t want to go into a job that would have him in a “rat race” because he did not feel supported. Desikan, his neighbor and a photographer with The Hindu, gave Menon a spare camera. This move ignited Menon’s interest in cinematography. He was admitted to the Madras Film Institute and began to study filmmaking as an art form. He became a keen observer of films by Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray, as well as Tamil directors Balu Mahendran and Mahendran.

Rajiv Menon began to gain more recognition as an ad-film-maker and worked on documentaries for Shyam Benegal and Girish Karnad. Karnad offered him the chance to be the cinematographer of the Kannada film Jokumaraswamy, in 1990. However, the project was stopped after Shankar Nag, the lead actor in the film’s production, died in a car accident the day before. Agniputhri, another film that was being considered, was also canceled shortly after its announcement. P. C. Sreeram, cinematographer, chose Menon to replace him on the Telugu film Chaitanya (1991), starring Nagarjuna, Gautami, and Pratap Pothen. Menon later revealed that his first assignment was physically and mentally exhausting. It featured chase scenes that involved boats and motor bikes. He also said that he couldn’t wait for the return to commercials. To make up for the missed opportunity, he worked with Karnad in a Kannada film called Cheluvi (1992). Menon declined the opportunity to work with M. Night Shyamalan during his directorial debut, Praying with Anger (1992) and the chance to play the lead role in Mani Ratnam’s romantic drama Roja (1992).

AVM Productions wanted to make a film to commemorate its 50th anniversary in 1997 and signed on Prabhu Deva to play a lead role and A. R. Rahman to score the music for a potential project. The production studio revealed that they were looking for a new director and Rahman suggested the name of Rajiv Menon to make his directorial debut. Menon thought about the offer for two months and was ultimately convinced by Rahman and Mani Ratnam to accept the project titled Minsara Kanavu. Arvind Swamy was then signed up for a role as was Hindi actress Kajol, to make her debut in Tamil films. The film was released in January 1997 and was successful at the Chennai box office, notably outperforming Mani Ratnam’s political drama Iruvar (1997), which was released on the same day. After audiences were initially unhappy with the sad climax of the film, distributors reverted and used an alternate ending which had also been shot for the film. A critic from Indolink.com gave the film a positive review, stating that “Minsara Kanavu is again a triangular love story with a little difference. It has good entertainment value, awesome cinematography and excellent songs and choreographed dances.” The film was partially re-shot and released by ABC Films in October 1997 in Hindi as Sapnay to capitalise on Kajol’s popularity in Northern India, earning above average reviews from critics.

In the past, Menon has actively turned down acting offers citing that he prefers to concentrate on being behind the screen. He has previously appeared in a supporting role in Fazil’s Malayalam comedy drama film, Harikrishnans (1998) starring Mohanlal, Mammootty and Juhi Chawla. Playing the role of Guptan, Menon’s character is killed in his first scene and makes re- appearances throughout the film as a dead body. Regarding his reluctance to accept acting roles, Menon has stated that he had not taken any acting classes, but had worked hard towards becoming a cameraman and a director. He has also expressed his delight at leading an anonymous life, which could change if he were to become recognisable in public spaces.

Menon started his career as a still photographer in the entertainment business. He also did some work on corporate films and fashion shoots. Later, he became interested in commercials and was eventually promoted to the role of director. He first met A. R. Rahman while working on an advertisement for Harvest Groundnut Oil. This was during his commitment to the project. They continued to collaborate on commercials and worked together on many brands, including Asian Paints and Allwyn.

Rajiv Menon Net Worth

Rajiv Menon is one of the richest Cinematographer from India. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Rajiv Menon 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Rajiv Menon, a filmmaker from India was born 20 April 1963. He has been a director and cinematographer for several Indian film industries. Menon worked with Ratnam on several projects, including Guru (2007)and Kadal (2013). He also directed the critically acclaimed Tamil films Minsara Kanavu (1997), Kandukondain Kandukondain (1999), which won a Filmfare Award. Menon returned to filmmaking with Sarvam Thaala Mayam after a sabbatical.

Menon began his career in ad-photography and went on to produce a variety of television commercials. In the 1980s, when there was little competition, Menon entered the field. This was when A. R. Rahman made the decision to make his own music. He became close friends with him and he combined his creativity with A. R. Rahman’s musical Jingles. His first Jingle was in an Allwyn Trendy Watches national ad. Rajiv has been in many A. R. Rahman Jingles ads. Notable ads include those for Airtel and Colgate, Palmolive Titan, Asian Paints Raymonds, Coca Cola, and Titan.

Menon was then approached by Mani Ratnam to shoot Bombay (1994), a film centred on events that occurred leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, and the increased religious tensions that led to the Bombay riots. As a part of his instructions, Menon needed to depict the scenes before the riots as beautiful as possible. So, Menon suggested shooting in the rains to achieve the effect. The team shot the interiors of homes in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu and the exteriors were shot in Kasargod, and Kannur village in Kerala, while the song sequence Uyire was shot at Bekal Fort. Menon described that the success of the film “changed his life”.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Rajiv Menon height Not available right now. Rajiv weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Rajiv Menon Dating?

According to our records, Rajiv Menon married to Latha Menon. As of December 1, 2023, Rajiv Menon’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Rajiv Menon. You may help us to build the dating records for Rajiv Menon!

After a brief gap in feature films, he is coming back with his latest creation, Sarvam Thaala Mayam (2019) featuring G. V. Prakash Kumar. The film is set in a musical background and tells the story of an aspiring percussionist.

Facts & Trivia

Rajiv Ranked on the list of most popular Cinematographer. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in India. Rajiv Menon celebrates birthday on April 20 of every year.

Are Rajiv Menon and Gautham Menon related?

For the unversed, Gautham Vasudev Menon is the former assistant director of Rajiv Menon. Gautham had assisted Rajiv Menon in the film Minsara Kanavu (1997) starring Prabhu Deva, Kajol and Aravind Swamy.

Who is Rajiv in film industry?

Rajiv Menon
Born| 20 April 1963 Kochi, Kerala, India
Alma mater| Madras Film Institute
Occupation| Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Film Director, Educator, Screenwriter
Spouse(s)| Latha Menon

Who was the cinematographer for the movie Bombay who is also a director

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Rajiv Menon , born on April 20, 1963, is an Indian cinematographer and filmmaker in Indian Film industry. He started his career as a cinematographer with a Telugu movie “Chaithanya” . His famous movies include Bombay, Kadal etc. He also directs movies like Minsara Kanavu and Kandukondain Kandukondain.

What is the age of Gautham Menon?

49 years (February 25, 1973)

Where is Gautham Menon from?

Ottapalam, India