Acclaimed Malayalam cinematographer Sudheesh Pappu dies at 44

One movie he shot ends with the perilous view of a young man riding pillion, unaware of the raised dagger that is about to stab him from behind. Another unveils the various moods and tantrums of a vile old man with close-ups of his cruel laughter and longshots of his despicable self stretched out on a bed. The latter was to be the last film that Sudheesh Pappu, fondly known as Pappu among his friends, would shoot. The 44-year-old died on Monday, November 14, after a long bout of illness, reportedly due to amyloidosis, a condition involving the build-up of proteins in the heart, liver, and/or other organs.

That last film was Appan, which revolved around the relationship of a cruel old man with his family, and was released last month. Like Appan, most of the films that Pappu was part of were critically acclaimed, beginning with Srinath Rajendran's Second Show. Pappu gained prominence after doing the cinematography for acclaimed cinematographer Rajeev Ravi's Njan Steve Lopez. The night shots that the movie began with were a revelation for movie-goers. He had worked in the cinematography unit of three other Rajeev Ravi films.

“He was extremely talented. Even when we were shooting Appan, he had some health issues. But no one realised it would be so grave,” says Maju, the director of Appan. Initially, Rajeev Ravi was supposed to do the film’s cinematography. But when he could not make it, Pappu came on board after the team insisted on it.

One Of The Most Under Rated
Sudheesh Pappu

Second Show
Njan Steve Lopez
Koothara
Eeda

Night Shots are pic.twitter.com/OXG8eStxUx

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“It is a film that is mostly set in the same location. Pappu ensured that the audience would not find it monotonous to watch the same place by setting it beautifully. As the movie progressed, he became increasingly unwell and Vinod (another cinematographer) had to take over. Pappu still came for a few more days when he got better. Such was his dedication. He had no desire for fame and was happy to be part of good cinema,” Maju adds.

Pappu had also helmed the camera for Sajin Babu's Ayaal Sassi starring Sreenivasan and B Ajithkumar's Eeda, a romance centred in political Kannur.