Nivas started his film career as an operative camera man in
P. N. Menon's Malayalam film,
Kuttyedathi (1971). He apprenticed under
Ashok Kumar in films such as
Mappusakshi (1972),
Chembarathi (1972) and
Babu Nanthankode's
Dhakam(1972)
Swapnam (1973). His first film as an independent cinematographer was
Sathyathinte Nizhalil (1975), directed by
Babu Nanthankode. Nivas was awarded the
National Film Award for Best Cinematography (Black and White) for the 1976 Malayalam film
Mohiniyaattam. In 1978, he won the
Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer the Telugu film,
Nimajjanam. Nivas made his
Tamil cinema debut with
Bharathiraja's
16 Vayathinile (1977), which was also the latter's directorial debut. He went on to work with the director in films such as
Kizhake Pogum Rail (1978),
Sigappu Rojakkal (1978),
Solva Sawan (1978) and
Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979). Between 1977 and 1980, he worked on seven Bharathiraja films, including five consecutively. He also photographed
C. V. Sridhar's
Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu and its Telugu remake,
Vayasu Pilichindi (1978). He also worked with
K. Viswanath in
Saagara Sangamam (1983). Nivas died on 1 February 2021, in Calicut. ==Filmography==