Shehnad Jalal (Cinematographer) Age, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Cinematographer
Known for	Winning the Best Cinematography Award at the 72nd National Film Awards for his striking black-and-white work in the Malayalam horror-thriller film Bramayugam (2024)
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film: Chitrasutram (2010) Short Film: The way she is venerated in love (2010) Documentary: Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (2023) Music Video: Funeral of a native sons (2016)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Kerala State Film Awards (2010) in the category Best Cinematography for the film Chitrasutram (2010) • 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (2011) in the category Best Documentary Cameraman for the short film A Pestering Journey (2010) • South Indian International Movie Awards (2024) in the category Best Cinematographer for the film Bramayugam (2024) • 72nd National Film Awards (2026) in the category Best Cinematography for teh film Bramayugam (2024)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	22 June 1978 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2026)	48 Years
Birthplace	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
School	Al Uthuman School, Kazhakkuttam
College/University	• University of Kerala, Kerala • Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata
Educational Qualification(s)	• A Bachelore's degree in Commerce (1996-1999) from University of Kerala • A Post Graduate diploma in Cinematography (2002-2005) from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute
Religion	Islam
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	Soorya Anwar
Parents	Father- A Jalaludeen Mother- Jahanara Jalal

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shehnad Jalal

• Shehnad Jalal was born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and built his career mainly in Malayalam cinemas as a cinematographer.

• In 2002, after completing his graduation degree in Commerce from the University of Kerala and then joined Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, to formally study cinematography.

• In 2005, Shehnad completed a three-year Post Graduate Diploma in Cinematography from SRFTI. He was the part of the fourth batch of the Cinematography Department at the institute.

• In 2006, he began working professionally as a cinematographer after completing his film education. In his early professional career, he assisted cinematographer Venu ISC and worked with him on feature films, documentaries and television commercials.
  

  Shehnad Jalal with cinematographer Venu ISC

• In the same year, he also worked as the cinematographer for Ngaihak Lanbida (Along the Way), a short film directed by Haobam Paban Kumar. The film was produced by SRFTI and was listed in the Indian Panorama catalogue.

• In 2010, Shehnad made his feature-film cinematography debut with the film Chitrasutram (2010). The film was an experimental Malayalam work that combined technology, fantasy, and unconventional imagery.

• His work on Chitrasutram earned him the Kerala State Film Awards for the Best Cinematography.

• In 2010, he also shot the documentary titled, A Pestering Journey. The documentary later brought him another major recognition for his camera work.

• For his work in A Pestering Journey, Shehnad won the Navaroze Contractor Award for Best Documentary Cameraman at the 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala in 2011,

• In the same year, he was selected as one of six emerging Indian talents to represent India at the Cannes Film Festival through an initiative of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

• In 2013, Shehnad worked as the cinematographer in the film, Kanyaka Talkies, directed by K.R. Manoj. The film was screened at several film festivals in India and abroad, including the Mumbai Film Festival, International Film Festival of India, International Film Festival of Kerala, Bengaluru International Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, London Indian Film Festival, and Hong Kong International Film Festival.

• In 2016, Shennad shot Lady of the Lake (Loktak Lairembee), directed by Haobam Paban Kumar. The film later became one of his internationally noticed films in his career. The film won the golden Gateway Award for Best Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival and received the National Award for Best Indian Film on Environment Conservation.

• In 2017, he received an Asia Pacific Screen Awards nomination for Achievement in Cinematography for Lady of the Lake. The film and his work was also nominated for the Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO.

• In 2018, Shehnad was selected for Berlinale Talents, a talent development programme connected with the Berlin International Film Festival.

• In 2024, Shehnad shot Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan. The film became particularly notable for its black-and-white cinematography.
  

  Shehnad Jalal (right) with director director Rahul Sadasivan (middle), and actor Mammootty (left)

• In an interview, Shehnad revealed that he liked the idea of shooting Bramayugam in black and white because he had learned photography and lighting using black-and-white film during his training at SRFTI.

• He added that the director Rahul Sadasivan had discussed the black-and-white concept with him while they were still working on the film Bhoothakaalam (2022), and the visual planning for Bramayugam began well before filming, including discussions about locations, storyboards and the overall visual style.

• In 2025, Shehnad’s work on Bramayugam earned him the SIIMA Award for Best Cinematographer-Malayalam.

• In the same year, Shehnad worked as the Director of Photography for the Malayalam thriller Paathirathri, directed by Ratheena.

• In September 2026, Shehnad Jalal came into news for winning the Best Cinematography award at the 72nd National Film Awards for the film Bramayugam (2024).
  

  Shehnad Jalal while receiving his National Award in the category Best Cinematography from the President Droupadi Murmu at 72nd National Film Awards