Malaysian film legend Tan Sri L Krishnan turns 100 years old today

Local film pioneer Tan Sri L Krishnan celebrates his 100th birthday celebration today. Famous for his barrier-breaking movies since 1949, L Krishnan reached a century of age with a long-lasting legacy in film.

Started out at Shaw Brother’s Jalan Ampas studio, the Tan Sri played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of our film industry as he worked hand-in-hand with legends such as P Ramlee himself.

L Krishnan directed more than 30 films during his era including ones featuring P Ramlee such as Takdir Ilahi (1950), Penghidupan (1951) Bakti (1950) and Antara Senyum dan Tangis (1952).

His list of collaborators didn’t stop at P.Ramlee, the director also worked with the likes of Siput Sarawak, Kasma Booty, Mustapha Maarof, Nordin Ahmad and Datuk Maria Menado.

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Beyond his career in film, L Krishnan was briefly part of the British army and was sent back to Madras, his place of birth. In India, he found his way into the local film scene and worked as an assistant film director at Kalairani Film before moving to Singapore and directing his first film with Shaw Studios.

In the early 80s, Tan Sri recognised the need to uphold Malaysian-produced films with the introduction of protective tariffs as he formed Gaya Filem Berhad. His efforts helped boost the commercial film industry back then - which cemented his legacy as a practitioner who doesn’t just produce but also cares about the well-being of the industry.

For his phenomenal talent behind the camera and contributions towards the film industry, L Krishnan received the prestigious Anugerah P Ramlee in the 12th Malaysia Festival in 1995 and Galeri Sinema Melayu Award or Pioneer in the Malay Film Industry in 1996.

Other honourable awards granted to him include Setia Mahkota Selangor (1976); Malaysian Video Award (MVA Millennium Award for contribution made to the Advertising Industry) International Tamil Film Awards (2003) - Lifetime Achievement Award (2003); 50th Asia-Pacific Film Festival (2005); Seniman-Lifetime Achievement Award (2006); Anugerah Tokoh Perfileman Malaysia (2013); 1Malaysian of the Year – National Press Club Malaysia (2014); South India Cinematography Award (2015) and more.

Tan Sri L Krishnan now resides in Thailand with his wife Puan Sri Rukmanee as his work in philanthropy continues.

Image credit to the Merdeka Award