S. M. Anwar is an Indian cinematographer best known for his work in mainstream Hindi cinema, primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s. He is particularly known for his work on Ramesh Sippy's Shaan (1980) and Saagar (1985), for successfully balancing dramatic narrative with strong visual composition.
His first credited role as a cinematographer was for Do Bhai (1969). He worked as an operative cameraman under Dwarka Divecha in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay (1975), a landmark film of Indian cinema. Impressed with his innovative techniques in handling the camera during action sequences in Sholay, Sippy offered Anwar the position of cinematographer for his next big-budget production, Shaan (1980), the most expensive Indian film made at the time. His work on the film earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography.
Anwar continued his collaboration with Sippy on two more commercially successful films, Shakti (1982) and Saagar (1985). He won his second Filmfare award for Saagar.
His work deftly blended dynamic camera movements, clever framings, and evocative colour work, helping to set a standard in technical and aesthetic style in big-budget productions.