Anil Mehta is an Indian cinematographer, writer, producer and director, known for his work in Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Lagaan, Veer Zaara ”, “Rockstar”, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” and “Ae Dil Hai” and other Bollywood movies. Mushkir. He is one of the founding members of the Cinematographers Guild of India, established in 1995.
Wiki/Biography
Anil Mehta was born on February 9th. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He was born into a very middle-class background. He has lived in various cities including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Gwalior and Delhi. Anil Mehta said that the American film “The Sound of Music” (1965) had a huge impact on him, and subsequently he decided to join the film industry. Anil was admitted to the Film and Television Institute of India in 1986 and came to Mumbai to work in advertising after graduation. He later served as cinematographer for several hit Bollywood films and became one of India’s most renowned cinematographers.
Profession
photographer
When he moved to Mumbai, where he worked under Chandita Mukherjee, he found the first few years challenging. He struggled for 5-6 years and in 1994, Mani Kaul offered him a short film Cloud Gate. In 1996, he received a call from Sanjay Leela Bhansali, inviting him to be a part of Khamoshi: The Musical film, starring Salman Khan. ), which gave him his first major breakthrough in life. In an interview, he said of the film:
“I had just felt comfortable when Sanjay approached me about Khamoshi. He left me the script and said he had found a financier who was going to make the film. “See if you’d like to do it, “He told me. I called him the next day and decided to do it.”
After that, he filmed the movie “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ajay Devgn. It received critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and won several awards. Movie. In 2001, he made the super hit film “Lagaan” starring Aamir Khan and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. He said of the film in an interview,
“I met Ashutosh [Gowariker] and amir [Khan] A long time ago Humdir was released. I think we were still in post-production when Aamir asked me to read the script and talk to Ashu. Through Aamir, I got an idea of how he wanted to shoot the film. Obviously, this was a very different type of film than the kind of movies being made at the time. Also, with Aamir as the producer, I could feel the commitment to the film. Things weren’t as professional back then as they are now, but Amir knew what he was talking about and that gave you confidence. ”
Anil Mehta (left) during the filming of “Lagaan”
In 2003, he shot “Kal Ho Naa Ho”; in 2004, he shot “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, directed by legendary director Yash Chopra and written by Yash’s son Aditya Chopra Movie Veer-Zaara. Both films feature Shah Rukh Khan, who said about Verzala in an interview:
“The incredible thing about working on Veer-Zaara was the way Adi and Yash-ji collaborated. In fact, Adi wrote the script, and Adi once in a conversation, I remember him telling me that when he was writing, He was trying to think what Yash Chopra was thinking.”
In 2009, he participated in the film “Wake Up Sid” starring Ranbir Kapoor. In 2011, he participated in the movie “Rockstar” starring Ranbir Kapoor.
A collage of Anil Mehta and his team working on the film Rockstar
In 2012, he participated in the movie “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” starring Shah Rukh Khan. In 2014, she participated in the movie “Highway” directed by Imtiaz Ali and starring Alia Bhatt. When defining the approach to making the film Highway, he said:
“I approached Highway with an ‘indie’ spirit. Minimal gear, starting from the hip, keeping it simple…”
In 2015, he acted in the film Badlapur starring Varun Dhawan. In 2016, he shot the film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” directed by Karan Johar, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma.
Anil Mehta (right) and Karan Johar during the filming of “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”
In 2017, he participated in the movie “Secret Superstar” starring Aamir Khan. In 2019, he filmed the movie “Angrezi Medium” starring the late actor Irrfan Khan.
Anil Mehta (far left) during the filming of Angrezi Medium
In 2021, he acted in the film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra.
Anil Mehta (right) during the shooting of the film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
In 2022, he participated in the movie “Jersey” starring Shahid Kapoor and the movie “Darling” starring Alia Bhatt.
Anil Mehta (right) during the filming of the movie “Dear”
Screenwriter and Director
In 2002, he created the film Agni Varsha starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff. In 2007, he directed the film Aaja Nachle, which was also the comeback film of popular actress Madhuri Dixit Nene. Speaking about directing the film, he said:
“It’s so tiring. We’re in the finishing stages. It’s already quite tiring. The first print has just come out. The whole schedule is very tight. I’m not trying to be a director. This is Aditya Chopra’s idea. He wrote the story. It all started with a chat while shooting Veer Zaara. The script appealed to me. I may or may not direct again after this.”
dispute
In 2015, he was one of the signatories of a letter to the President of India demanding the removal of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Chairman Gajendra Chauhan from its governing board; they demanded the immediate removal of the Chairman, and also It is hoped that FTII will be declared a center of excellence and an autonomous institution.
Awards
- In 2000, he won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography and the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Best Cinematography Award for the movie “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”.
- In 2002, he won the Screen Award for Best Cinematography for the movie “Lagaan”.
- In 2004, he won the British Film Institute Award for Best Cinematography and the Bollywood Film Award for Best Cinematography for the film “Kal Ho Naa Ho”.
Facts/Trivia
- While Mehta studied cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India, he studied the work of Indian cinematographer Subrata Mitra, who had worked with VK Murthy and the Oscar-winning With director Satyajit Ray. He said in an interview that although the working styles of Satyajit Ray and VK Murthy were almost opposite, he drew inspiration from both of them.
- Ace cinematographer Piyush Puty considers Anil’s film Lagaan as one of the technical inspirations for filmmaking. Piyush also worked with Anil in the film Wake Up Sid.
- Anil Mehta in an interview talked about the traits of a good cinematographer and said that patience and active listening skills are key. He said,
Being able to hear before he sees. In the sense of being able to absorb what is being said, done, or performed. All of this must be absorbed before translation. I would say the quality is to be patient, listen, and try to translate it into some kind of visual design. ”
- In 1995, he along with several other renowned cinematographers established the Indian Cinematographers Association in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Since he is a member of society, his name is shown with the suffix ISC in the film’s closing credits.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education