Sabu Cyril

Based in Mumbai

Sebastian Vincent Cyril, popularly known as Sabu Cyril—is widely recognized as one of India’s most celebrated and experienced production designers. Trained at the Government College of Fine Arts in Chennai, he began his career as a graphic designer before transitioning to film in 1988. Since then, he has designed sets for over 115 feature films across languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada—and directed more than 2,500 advertisements

His iconic filmography includes visually transformative works such as Thenmavin Kombath, Kaalapani, Hey Ram, Om Shanti Om, Enthiran, Baahubali I & II, and RRR. For Baahubali, Cyril famously crafted a miniature four-storey armoury and a 100-foot statue—each setting spanning acres and constructed with immense precision. In RRR, he recreated entire colonial-era villages and built elaborate sets in factories and film cities, reinforcing narrative scale and authenticity.

His work has garnered numerous accolades, including 4 National Film Awards, 6 Filmfare Awards (including South), 5 IIFA Awards, and several state awards. Notably, he steered creative design efforts for the 2015 International Film Festival of India, crafting installations, motif concepts, and venue environments

Sabu Cyril’s design philosophy hinges on believability, scale, and collaboration. He often merges physical construction with CGI to create seamless visuals that resonate emotionally—making the extraordinary appear effortless.

Social Media Handles: Instagram: @sabu_cyril