M. Karnan (c. 1933 – 13 December 2012) was an Indian cinematographer and director who mainly worked in Tamil cinema. Starting his career as an assistant to V. Ramamurthi, Karnan gradually rose to a full-fledged cinematographer, and made a few films based on curry western featuring Jaishankar in the lead. In an interview to Behindwoods, cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran mentioned Karnan as an inspiration and noted the way he made films. He had a very good heart and he was a pure soul . He had helped many in his times. After prolonged illness, he died on 13 December 2012.
