Vikash Nowlakha Biography

Quick Info→

Height: 5' 10"

Profession: Cinematographer

Education: Graduate

Bio/Wiki
Other Name(s)	• Vikash Nawlakha • Vikash Nowlakha ISC
Profession(s)	• Filmmaker • Cinematographer
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 10" (178 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	(Bald)
Career
Awards	2002 • Best Cinematography in the student category for 'The Intruder' at the Torello International Film Festival 2018 • Best Cinematography award for the advertisement for 'Durex' at Goafest 2025 • Best Cinematography award for 'Laapataa Ladies' at the 23rd Zee Cine Awards 2026 • Best Cinematography award for 'Dhurandhar' at Screen Awards • Best Cinematography award for 'Dhurandhar' at the 5th Pinkvilla Screen and Style Icons Awards Awards for Commercial Projects • Artivist Award • Abby Award for Cadbury • Cannes Lions for Fevicol • Kyoorius Award for Ambuja Cement
Personal Life
Nationality	Indian
College/University	• University of Tasmania (UTAS), Australia • New York Film Academy (NYFA), United States
Educational Qualification(s)	• A degree in Eastern Philosophy and Environmental Economics from the University of Tasmania (UTAS) • Studied Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy (NYFA)
Tattoo(s)	• On the Left Bicep • On the Right Leg
Social Media	• Instagram • Official Website

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vikash Nowlakha

Vikash studied Eastern Philosophy and Environmental Economics at the University of Tasmania in Australia.

In 1997, he moved to Mumbai, where he began working as an assistant director at a production house that made commercials. Along with this, he also learned VFX, animation, and compositing, and gained experience in post production.

During this time in Mumbai, the production house bought a Sony DSR 500 camera, which was the first camera he ever shot on.

From 1999 to 2000, Vikash worked as a director at MTV, where he created promos and shows. At the same time, he continued shooting alongside directing.

In 2001, Vikash decided to fully focus on cinematography and joined the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in the United States.

During his time at NYFA, he spent some time working on silent 16mm films, student projects, and independent films in New York.

Vikash later returned to India and assisted cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran on films like ‘Yuva’ (2004) and ‘Black’ (2005). These projects were very different in style and helped him build a strong foundation before starting his independent journey as a DOP around 2003.
The poster of the film Black (2005)

Vikash then mainly worked as a commercial DOP and built most of his career in advertising. He worked in different regions like the Far East, Europe, Southeast Asia, and India, and handled wide range of international projects.

During this time, he shot several high-profile commercials, especially for car brands like Maserati, BMW, and Buick. He also worked with global sports brands, like Nike’s Air Jordan, Adidas, and teams, such as the New York Knicks.

In the early phase of his film career, Vikash worked on about three films, but none of them were released.

Vikash has also worked as a director for short films like ‘Going to School in India’ (2005) and ‘Girl Stars: Kiran the Junkyard Dealer’ (2007).

In 2007, he worked on the film ‘Dus Kahaniyaan,’ which featured ten different stories directed by six directors, Sanjay Gupta, Meghna Gulzar, Rohit Roy, Apoorva Lakhia, Jasmeet Dhodhi, and Hansal Mehta.
A poster of the film ‘Dus Kahaniyaan’ (2007)

He also worked on the Hindi-language thriller film ‘Woodstock Villa’ (2008), which starred Sikandar Kher, Neha Oberoi, Arbaaz Khan, Shakti Kapoor, and Gulshan Grover.

His first major film was the satire comedy-drama film ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ (2009). It starred Ranbir Kapoor in the titular role.
A poster of the film ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ (2009)

After that, there was a long gap in his film work, as he remained consistently active in advertising.

He then worked on a British nature documentary film titled ‘The Year Earth Changed’ (2021).

He also worked on a British nature documentary series titled ‘The Green Planet’ (2022), which aired on BBC One.
Vikash Nowlakha’s Instagram post about working on ‘The Green Planet’ (2022)

Vikash worked as a cinematographer on an Indian dark comedy web-series titled ‘Bloody Brothers’ (2022), which streamed on ZEE5.

He also worked on other films like Ayan Mukerji‘s ‘Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva’ (2022) and Kiran Rao‘s ‘Laapataa Ladies’ (2023).
A picture of Vikash Nowlakha from the set of the film ‘Laapataa Ladies’

For ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ Vikash chose the Sony VENICE, as it helped him shoot in small spaces and use natural-looking light easily. While talking about this in an interview, he said,

After extensive testing, the director, Kiran Rao, and I concluded that the VENICE paired with the Cooke S4 lenses was the best combination for the look we desired for the project. The VENICE Extension System and the dual ISO were major determinants in our choice of the Sony VENICE.

Vikash gained widespread recognition for his work as a cinematographer on the Aditya Dhar‘s spy action thriller films ‘Dhurandhar’ (2025) and ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ (2026).
A picture of Vikash Nowlakha from the set of the film ‘Dhurandhar’

Although some pointed out Dhurandhar’s mix of real and fictional elements and called it a “propaganda” film, it still became a massive hit. The film crossed Rs. 1000 crore and earned over Rs. 1350 core worldwide, making it the 4th Indian film to do so.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ was also received high appreciation for its overall quality. However, some criticised it for blending fact with fiction and for its nationalist angle.

Despite mixed reviews, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ did very well at the box office and crossed Rs. 1000 crore within a week. It became the 5th Hindi film to reach this mark.

Aditya Dhar later shared an appreciation post for Vikash on social media, praising his work on both parts of Dhurandhar.

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