Kozhikode: Cinematographer and director P. S. Nivas (P. Sreenivas) passed away. He had been undergoing treatment at the medical college here for the last one month.

Nivas, who has worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil cinema, won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography (Black and White) for the 1976 Malayalam film ‘Mohiniyaattam’.

Born in Kizhakke Nadakkavu in Kozhikode, Nivas graduated from the St. Joseph's College, Devagiri before completing diploma in motion picture photography from the Institute of Film Technology, Adayar, Madras.

Nivas’s first film as an independent cinematographer was Sathyathinte Nizhalil. Nivas made his Tamil cinema debut with Bharathiraja's 16 Vayathinile (1977).

He also photographed C. V. Sridhar's Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu and its Telugu remake, Vayasu Pilichindi (1978). In 1978, he won the Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer the Telugu film, Nimajjanam.