The late J. Williams was a cinematographer who gained applause in Malayalam cinema for filming daring action sequences. His shots often amazed his colleagues. Williams, a close friend of Mohanlal, faced certain challenges in his cinematic career. Actor and director Alleppey Ashraf recently shared some details about this on his YouTube channel.

"Williams worked as a cinematographer in two of my films. When he was not working, he would always be seen in front of AVM Studio. He was someone who created magic with a camera before technology advanced so much. If an action sequence had to be filmed, he was the go-to name for everyone. In the film Panchagni, the official cinematographer was Shaji N. Karun. There was a scene in which the character is attacked by a dog. The director and producer entrusted J. Williams with shooting that scene with full confidence, and he captured it beautifully. To get the perfect shot, he even tied pieces of meat to his body to attract the dog. He received much praise for this.

Some of the scenes shot on the ship in the film Padayottam are still watched by audiences with awe. He captured one particular shot by hanging from the ship’s smokestack. Williams often sustained injuries while filming action sequences, but he never let anything happen to the camera. He had a strong personality. No matter how influential a person was, if they created problems, Williams never backed down. He never minded such conflicts. Many were unaware that he was, in fact, a kind-hearted person. Those who realized this would always give him another opportunity.

The superhit film Madanolsavam, starring Kamal Haasan and Zarina Wahab, was a massive success. Williams was the cinematographer for this movie. Following the success of the film, he got an opportunity to work in a Telugu film starring N.T. Rama Rao. He even received an advance payment. Soon, more Telugu projects came his way.

Before the shoot began, N.T. Rama Rao visited the set. Everyone remained silent and respectfully sought his blessings by touching his feet. At that moment, Williams was standing behind the camera, smoking a cigarette. Seeing this, N.T.R. was displeased. Consequently, Williams was ousted from the film. Following this, he was also ousted from other Telugu films. He was a chain smoker, which ultimately cost him his career in Telugu cinema.

In Malayalam cinema, he was very close to Mohanlal. Mohanlal supported him by offering him work. Williams was behind some risky shots in films like Spadikam and Douthyam. In Douthyam, there was a scene where Mohanlal climbed a large hill using a rope. Williams also climbed the rope to get the shot, injuring himself in the process.

He also worked for a short time in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Mahaan. When Amitabh arrived on set with his makeup done, Williams insisted that the lighting still needed adjustments. This surprised everyone. He explained that because Amitabh was wearing glasses, the lighting had to be altered accordingly. Hearing this, Amitabh was so impressed that he hugged Williams.

His wife, Shanthi, is an actress. She played Vikram’s mother in the film Anniyan. Producer G. Suresh Kumar supported Williams during his final days," Ashraf revealed.