K V Anand, noted Tamil film director and cinematographer died here early on Friday due to cardiac arrest, sources close to his family said.

"He passed away in a hospital at 3 AM due to a cardiac arrest, he was 54 years old," Riaz K Ahmed, a film industry publicist and movie buff said.

Anand began his career as a cinematographer in the Malayalam movie 'Thenmavin Kombath' in 1994 and following a decade of work as a cinematographer he made his directorial debut in Tamil flick 'Kana Kanden' (2005). 'Thenmavin Kombath' bagged the national award (Best Cinematography) for Anand.

Veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan said Anand began his life as a photojournalist and established himself as a distinguished cinematographer-film director due to his relentless efforts and initiatives.

"His passing away is a big loss to the film industry. My condolences," Haasan said.

"Anand's colour sense is unique and his camera worked magic on screen. In Sivaji, he made a new attempt to portray Rajinikanth in a different light (in 'Oru Koodai Sunlight' song) which was a huge hit among Rajini fans," film industry tracker, M Bharat Kumar said.

'Ko,' 'Ayan,' 'Maatraan,' and 'Anegan' and 'Kavan' and 'Kaappan' were Anand's popular directorial efforts.