Sri Lankan-Indian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (born 1939)

Balu Mahendra

Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran, commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan Tamil cinematographer, director, screenwriter, actor and film editor who worked in various Indian film industries, primarily in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Born in Sri Lanka, Mahendran developed a passion for photography and literature at a young age, after witnessing the shoot of David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) during a school trip in Sri Lanka, he was drawn towards filmmaking. After graduation he joined as an Aerial photographer in the Sri Lankan Government. In 1966, he moved to India and gained admission to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) to pursue a course in motion picture photography.

Born

1939

May 20

Died

2014

Era

1930s

Country

—

About

Balu, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1939 Born
2014 Died

Also on May 20

What else happened on this day, through history

325 The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church.
491 Empress Ariadne marries Anastasius I. The widowed Augusta is able to choose her successor for the Byzantine throne, after Zeno (late emperor) dies of dysentery.
685 The Battle of Dun Nechtain is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.
794 While visiting the royal Mercian court at Sutton Walls with a view to marrying princess Ælfthryth, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia is taken captive and beheaded.

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The world in 1939

When Balu arrived

april 1 Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.
april 18 Robert Menzies, who became Australia's longest-serving prime minister, is elected as leader of the United Australia Party after the death of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
april 30 The 1939–40 New York World's Fair opens.
april 30 NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt's N.Y. World's Fair opening day ceremonial address.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on May 20

Albano Carrisi 1943– Italian singer, actor, and winemaker Angela Goethals 1977– American actress Bonne of Luxembourg 1315–1349 first wife of John II of France (died 1349) Bud Grant 1927– American football player and coach (died 2023) Enes Kanter 1992– Turkish basketball player Hal Newhouser 1921– American baseball player and scout (died 1998) John Stuart Mill 1806– English economist, civil servant, and philosopher (died 1873) José Mujica 1935–2025 Uruguayan politician, 40th President of Uruguay (born 1935) Kōichirō Genba 1964– Japanese politician, 80th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1939

Adolfo Azcuna 1939– Filipino lawyer and judge Aníbal Cavaco Silva 1939– Portuguese economist and politician, 19th President of the Portuguese Republic Billy "Crash" Craddock 1939– American singer-songwriter Chandra Wickramasinghe 1939– Sri Lankan-English mathematician, astronomer, and biologist Claude François 1939–1978 Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (died 1978) David Frost 1939–2013 English journalist and game show host (died 2013) Dusty Springfield 1939–1999 English singer and record producer (died 1999) Ekaterina Maximova 1939–2009 Russian ballerina and actress (born 1939) Feroz Khan 1939– Indian actor, director, and producer (died 2009)

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More to explore

Balu's birthday May 20 Balu's zodiac Taurus When Balu arrived 1939