K. K. Senthil Kumar

K. K. Senthil Kumar
Master Class on Cinematography by K.K. Senthil Kumar (Cinematographer), at the 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2015), in Panaji, Goa on November 26, 2015.
Born	(1974-07-29) 29 July 1974 (age 51) Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (now in Telangana, India)
Alma mater	Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
Occupations	Cinematographer photographer
Spouse	Ruhee Naaz ​ ​ (m. 2009;died 2024)​
Children	2

K. K. Senthil Kumar is an Indian cinematographer who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his frequent collaborations with S.S. Rajamouli. A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Senthil Kumar began his career as a cinematographer with the TV sitcom Amrutham and made his film debut with Aithe (2003), earning critical recognition.

Over the years, he has worked on several notable films, including Sye (2004), Chatrapathi (2005), Yamadonga (2007), Arundhati (2009), Magadheera (2009), Eega (2012), Baahubali (2015), Baahubali 2 (2017), and RRR (2022). ^[1] He earned various accolades, including four Filmfare Awards, two Nandi Awards and four SIIMA awards, among others.

Early and personal life

K. K. Senthil Kumar was born and brought up in Hyderabad, into a Tamil-speaking family. ^[2] He is the eldest of three siblings. He graduated with a degree in cinematography from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

Kumar married Ruhee Naaz on 25 June 2009, who was a Yoga instructor and headed the Hyderabad division of Bharat Thakur's Yoga classes. ^[2] The couple had two sons: Ryaan Kartikeyan and Dhruva Kartikeyan. ^{[3] [4]} Ruhee died on 15 February 2024 at a private hospital in Hyderabad. ^{[5] [6]}

Career

After his graduation from FTII, he joined cinematographer Sarath as an assistant cinematographer. He worked under Sarath from Premaku Velayara (1999) to Jabili (2001). He started his work as a Independent Cinematographer with the TV Series Amrutham in 2000. When Chandra Sekhar Yeleti was making his directorial debut with Aithe (2003), he took Senthil on as the cinematographer, marking his official feature-film debut. ^[2]

Filmography

• All films are in Telugu, unless otherwise mentioned

Year	Title	Notes
2003	Aithe	[7]
2004	Sye	[6]
2005	Chatrapathi	[6]
2006	Ashok
2007	Yamadonga	[6]
2008	Three
2009	Arundhati	[6]
	Magadheera
2010	Thakita Thakita
2011	Golconda High School
2012	Eega	[6]
2013	Rough
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	[8]
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	[8]
2018	Vijetha
2022	RRR	[9] [10]
2025	Junior	Also shot in Kannada [11]
	Baahubali: The Epic
TBA	Swayambhu	[12]

Awards

Filmfare Awards South

• Best Cinematographer- Magadheera (2010) at 57th Filmfare Awards South
• Best Cinematographer- Baahubali: The Beginning (2016) at 63rd Filmfare Awards South
• Best Cinematographer- Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2018) at 65th Filmfare Awards South
• Best Cinematographer- RRR (2024) at 68th Filmfare Awards South

Nandi Awards

• Best Cinematographer - Eega at Nandi Awards of 2012
• Best Cinematographer - Baahubali: The Beginning at Nandi Awards of 2015

South Indian International Movie Awards

• Best Cinematographer – Telugu – Eega (2013) at 2nd SIIMA ^{[13] [14]}
• Best Cinematographer – Telugu – Baahubali: The Beginning (2016) at 5th SIIMA
• Best Cinematographer – Telugu – Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2018) at 7th SIIMA
• Best Cinematographer – Telugu – RRR at 11th SIIMA

CineMAA Awards

• Best Cinematographer – Magadheera (2010)
• Best Cinematographer – Yamadonga (2008)

Santosham Film Awards

• Best Cinematographer - Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) at 16th Santosham Film Awards

Philadelphia Film Critics Circle

• Best Cinematography – RRR (2022) ^[15]

References

1. "KK Senthil Kumar - Celebs At Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Mirchi Music Awards Gallery - Gallery 1 Pic 75 - cinegoer.net". cinegoer.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
2. "Senthil Kumar interview - Telugu film cinematographer". Idlebrain.com . 20 August 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
3. "'RRR' Cinematographer Senthil Kumar's wife Roohi dies due to multiple organ failure". India Today. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
4. Sharma, Swati (26 June 2016). "What's religion got to do with it?". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
5. "RRR cinematographer Senthil Kumar's wife Roohi dies due to multiple organ failure: 'You filled our hearts with love…'". The Indian Express. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
6. "'RRR' Cinematographer Senthil Kumar's wife Roohi dies due to multiple organ failure". India Today. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
7. "Cinematographer Senthil Kumar organises a party for team 'RRR' as he completes 20 years in Tollywood". The Times of India. 17 April 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 19 July 2025.
8. Mathew, Suresh (28 April 2017). "Meet Senthil Kumar, the Man Who Shot the 'Baahubali' Films". TheQuint. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
9. Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (31 March 2022). "Cinematographer Senthil Kumar on the technical strides for 'RRR' and his quest to keep offering better visual experiences". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 17 July 2025.
10. Block Hicks, Natasha (28 December 2022). "K. K. Senthil Kumar ISC • RRR". Cinematography World. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
11. Harsh, B. H. (15 July 2025). "KK Senthil Kumar: KGF is the most well-shot film of recent times". Cinema Express. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
12. "New poster from Nikhil Siddhartha starrer Swayambhu out". Cinema Express. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
13. "'Eega is one of the most difficult films I have shot'". Rediff. 5 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016.
14. "SIIMA Day 1 Winners of Technical, Music & Gen Next Awards - Telugu cinema news". idlebrain.com.
15. Hymavati, Ravali (18 December 2022). "The 2022 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC): K. K. Senthil Kumar Wins 'Best Cinematography' Award For RRR". The Hans India . Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.