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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Saravanamaruthu Soundarapandian, known as Mani, jointly won the 71st National Film Award for Best Cinematography for the Tamil short film Little Wings—an honor announced after his disappearance and death. The award is confirmed by the Government of India; the account of what happened in Tamil Nadu, including a disputed claim about motive, comes from reporting by Scroll.
Who was Saravanamaruthu Soundarapandian?
Known to friends and family as Mani, Saravanamaruthu came from a family based in Madurai and pursued cinematography after initially studying engineering and working in Chennai. According to his sister’s account to Scroll, he left his job at Wipro in 2014 to follow that ambition. Scroll reports that he entered the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata in 2015, graduated in 2019, and went on to work in several film industries.
Scroll credits him as an assistant cinematographer on films including Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir, Good Night, Bunty Aur Babli 2, and Bachchan Pandey. The report says he shot Little Wings in 2022. His co-recipient and former classmate, Meenakshi Soman, remembered him as “an extraordinary individual – an acute observer of both nature and humans.” She also said his love of literature, poetry, and music shaped the sensitivity of his images.
What happened when he went missing?
Scroll’s account says Saravanamaruthu left his family home in Madurai on 15 March 2023 on his sister’s scooter and did not return. His sisters reported him missing the next morning. About 15 days later, police asked the family to identify a body buried in Keeranur. Scroll reported that three men were held for his murder.
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These details are from Scroll’s reporting; its article did not reproduce an FIR or other police case file. The available sources do not establish the current status of the investigation or any court proceedings.
Why was he killed?
The motive is not established by the available reporting. Scroll says local media reported police accounts involving an alleged romantic relationship. Saravanamaruthu’s family told Scroll they had not known of such a relationship, and the reporter said police declined to provide a copy of the FIR. The allegation should therefore not be treated as a confirmed account of why he was killed.
What did he win the National Film Award for?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Press Information Bureau announced on 1 August 2025 that Little Wings (Tamil) received the 71st National Film Award for Best Cinematography, naming Saravanamaruthu Soundarapandi and Meenakshi Soman as joint awardees. The award announcement is for the 2023 award year. It confirms the award and recipients, not details about Saravanamaruthu’s death.
Scroll reports that Little Wings was shot in 2022 and won best short film at both the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala and the International Film Festival of India in Goa that year. Those festival details are reported by Scroll.
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What did the family say about the case?
Saravanamaruthu’s older sister Maruthavalli told Scroll the family had not received a copy of the autopsy results and lacked the resources to pursue inquiries, hire lawyers, or go to court. These are her reported statements, not findings about police procedure or a court’s assessment of the case. Scroll also reported that personnel at the first police station approached declined to comment without a specific complaint.
The award renewed the family’s attention to his death. Maruthavalli told Scroll, “It is almost like he is reminding us to fight for him.” She also said, “Don’t write in your story that he is dead.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why do accounts differ on his age and date of death?
Published accounts conflict. Scroll’s article, dated 13 October 2025, says Saravanamaruthu was murdered in March 2023 at age 31. An SRFTI alumni announcement dated 3 August 2025 describes his award as posthumous but gives 2022 as his death year and says he was 32. The award announcement from the Press Information Bureau does not resolve the discrepancy. Without a primary record that settles it, neither age nor death year should be treated as confirmed across these accounts.
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