Manikandan Raja (Cinematographer)
Manikandan Raja, who hails from Thiruvarur, holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering. After completing his studies, he initially worked at TVS for about six months. However, his deep passion for cinema soon led him to explore opportunities in the film industry.
During this time, he got the chance to work with DOP Sakthi Saravanan Sir, which helped him gain valuable exposure and build strong industry connections. Later, he transitioned into the camera department, joining Director Vasanth as a camera assistant, and gradually moved up to become a focus puller.
His journey as an assistant cameraman took off with the film Thodari, where he worked under Vetrivel Mahendran. He continued to collaborate with him for nearly eight years, contributing to several feature films and advertisements. Over the years, he has worked on around 12 films across the industry, including Niram Marum Ulagil.
A passionate learner, Manikandan often spends his time studying films to enhance his craft. With his growing experience and strong visual sense, he is now working on multiple projects and is widely regarded as a promising cinematographer with great potential to become a leading DOP in the Tamil film industry.
