Prakash Sundaram

Prakash Sundaram is a triple-threat technician-artist from the textile city of Coimbatore, where his father ran a small photography studio that doubled as the neighbourhood's unofficial cinema club. Growing up surrounded by cameras, film reels, and passionate discussions about Tamil and world cinema, Prakash was destined for a life in film. He began shooting short films on his father's camcorder at twelve and taught himself video editing using free software, creating mini-documentaries about Coimbatore's vibrant street food culture that garnered a loyal YouTube following. After completing his B.Sc. in Electronics from PSG College of Technology, Prakash earned a scholarship to study cinematography at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. There, he also studied film editing and developed a distinctive visual style that combined the naturalistic light of South Indian locations with the compositional rigour of European art cinema. His diploma film won the SRFTI President's Gold Medal and was selected for the Mumbai International Film Festival. Returning to Tamil Nadu, Prakash began working as a cinematographer on independent films while pursuing acting on the side. His dual debut as cinematographer and lead actor in Veyil Neram (2023), a Tamil drama about a young filmmaker's struggle to make his first feature, directed by Vetrimaaran's associate Manikandan R., was both personally meaningful and critically acclaimed. The film's gorgeous visuals and Prakash's understated performance earned it the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Cinematography. He followed this with the editing and an acting role in the experimental film Kadhai Neram.