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Anil Mehta Height, Age, Family, Biography & More

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Profession: Cinematographer
Education: Graduate From The Film And Television Institute Of India

Anil Mehta

Bio/Wiki
Profession(s)• Cinematographer
• Writer
• Director
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 172 cm
in meters- 1.72 m
in feet & inches- 5’ 8”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 65 kg
in pounds- 143 lbs
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourWhite
Career
DebutShort Film: The Cloud Door (Cinematographer)
Film: Khamoshi: The Musical (Cinematographer)
Film: Agni Varsha (Writer)
Film: Aaja Nachle (Director)
Awards, Honours, Achievements • National Film Award for Best Cinematography and the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Award for Best Cinematography in 2000 for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Screen Award for Best Cinematography in 2002 for Lagaan
• Guild Award for Best Cinematography and Bollywood Movie Award - Best Cinematography in 2004 for Kal Ho Naa Ho
Personal Life
Date of Birth9 February
Zodiac signCapricorn
NationalityIndian
College/UniversityFilm and Television Institute of India, Pune
Educational QualificationHe graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in 1986. [1]Scroll.in
ControversyLetter to the President of India to remove FTII Chairperson Gajendra Chauhan [2]The Citizen
His name came out as one of the signatories who wrote a letter to the President of India to remove the Film and Television Institute of India’s (FTII) Chairperson Gajendra Chauhan from it's governing council with immediate effect in 2015. They wanted that the FTII should be declared a Center of Excellence and an autonomous institution.

Anil Mehta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anil Mehta

  • Anil Mehta is an Indian cinematographer, writer, and director who is known for his cinematography in Bollywood films like Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Lagaan, Veer Zaara, Rockstar, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. He is one of the founders of the Indian Society of Cinematographers, formed in 1995.
  • He was born in a middle-class family and lived in various cities i.e. Calcutta, Hyderabad, Gwalior, and Delhi while growing up.
  • He decided to pursue a career in the film industry after watching the American film The Sound of Music released in 1965.
  • After completing his graduation from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, he moved to Mumbai and started working in advertisements. While studying at FTII, he studied the work of the Indian cinematographer Subrata Mitra who worked with the cinematographer V K Murthy and the Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray. In an interview, he said that although the style of work of Satyajit Ray and V K Murthy was almost opposite to each other, he took inspiration from both. [3]Film Companion
  •  He worked under the producer Chandita Mukherjee and faced several challenges during his initial years. After struggling for 5-6 years, he worked on the short film The Cloud Door by Mani Kaul in 1994.
  • He got his first major project in 1994 when Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered him to work on the film Khamoshi: The Musical movie starring Salman Khan. He talked about his meeting with Bhansali when he was offered the script and said,

    I had just about gotten comfortable when Sanjay approached me for Khamoshi. He left the script with me and said he had found himself a financier, that he was going to make this film. ‘See if you want to do it,’ he told me. The very next day I called him up and decided to do it.” [4]Rediff.com

  • He founded The Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) along with several other reputed cinematographers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 1995. His name shows with the suffix ISC in movie credits as he is a member of society.
  • In 2001, he worked on the film Lagaan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starred Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh. In an interview, he gave the details about how he got the film and said,

    I met Ashutosh [Gowariker] and Aamir [Khan] long before Hum Dil was released. I think we were still in post-production when Aamir asked me to read the script and speak to Ashu. With Aamir, I got a sense of how he wanted to shoot the film. It was clear that this would be strikingly different from the kind of films being made at the time. Also, with Aamir as a producer, I could sense a commitment to the film. Back then things were not as professional as they are now, but Aamir knew what he was talking about, and that gives you confidence.” [5]Rediff.com

    Anil Mehta in late 2000s

    Anil Mehta in the late 2000s

  • In 2007, he made his debut as a director with the film Aaja Nachle, the comeback film of Madhuri Dixit Nene. In an interview, he said that it started out as a casual idea and said,

    It has been very exhausting. We are at the finishing stages. It’s been quite tiring. The first print just came out. The entire schedule was quite packed. It was not as if I was gunning to be a director. It was Adi’s (Aditya Chopra) idea. He has written the story. It all started as a casual chat while shooting Veer Zaara. The script appealed to me. After this I may or may not direct again.” [6]Bolly Spice

  • Ace cinematographer Piyush Puty regarded Mehta’s work in Lagaan as one of the inspirations for technical aspects of filmmaking. He later worked with Anil as part of the crew of the movie Wake Up Sid. [7]Life And More web portal
  • He described patience and active listening as two of the key traits of a good cinematographer and said,

    To be able to listen before he can see. In the sense to be able to absorb what is being said, done, or performed. All these have to be absorbed before you translate it. I would say the quality is to be patient, to listen in, and to try and translate that into some kind of visual design.” [8]The Hindu