The doyen behind camera ace cameraman of this country hailing from Mysore Venkatarama Pandit Krishnamurthy alias VK Murthy breathed last today morning on his way to hospital. His body will be kept at Shankarapuram residence in the afternoon.

Winner of countries highest award Dadasaheb Phalke award this 91 years veteran craftsman proved his mettle in Hindi cinema and worked in a few Kannada films. The last film of VK Murthy camera `Kagaar`failed to take off after muhuruth. He was awarded the IIFA lifetime achievement award in Amsterdam in 2005 and in 2010 he won the Dadasaheb Phalke award.

He is known for his skill in Guru Dutt`s Kagaz Ke Pool, Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam, as he crafted some of the finest images in Indian cinema.

His ``beam shot`` in the Waqt ne kiya Kya Hassen Sitam sequence from Pyassa is considered a classic in celluloid history. Inspired by a light boy who was reflecting light with a mirror, he got that parallel beam using a pair of ordinary mirrors. This won him the Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award for 1959.

Born in 1923, Mr. Murthy did his Diploma in Cinematography in Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic, Bangalore, in the first batch (1943-46). He worked in all of Guru Dutt`s films.

Murthy worked for Hoovu Hannu, a classic in Kannada cinema, directed by Rajendra Singh Babu. He created some of the most significant shots in the black and white era.