✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Anil Mehta

Anil Mehta biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Anil Mehta Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth9 February

ProfessionCinematographer

NationalityIndian

FamilyGrew up in a middle-class family; lived in Calcutta, Hyderabad, Gwalior and Delhi

Anil Mehta Biography

Anil Mehta is an Indian cinematographer, writer and director known for his work on prominent Hindi films including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Lagaan and KalHo

Early life and background

Anil Mehta was born on 9 February and grew up in a middle-class family, living in cities such as Calcutta, Hyderabad, Gwalior and Delhi during his childhood. A strong early influence on his decision to work in films was the 1965 American musical The Sound of Music, which inspired him to pursue a career behind the camera.

Mehta attended the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and graduated in 1986. While studying at FTII he examined the work of prominent Indian cinematographers, drawing particular lessons from Subrata Mitra and V. K. Murthy and the films of Satyajit Ray. After completing his studies he moved to Mumbai and began working in the advertising industry as he worked his way into feature films.

Career

Mehta’s early career included work on short films and assisted projects before his break in cinema. One of his first notable credits as a cinematographer came on the short film The Cloud Door (1994) by Mani Kaul. His first major film assignment followed when Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered him Khamoshi: The Musical in 1994.

Across the late 1990s and 2000s Mehta established himself as a leading director of photography in Hindi cinema. He shot Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), which earned significant praise for its visual style, and worked on Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001). His cinematography on mainstream films such as Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004) further cemented his reputation.

Mehta has collaborated with a range of major Indian filmmakers and actors. His filmography includes Wake Up Sid (2009), Rockstar (2011), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), Highway (2014), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2015), Secret Superstar (2017), Angrezi Medium (2019), Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021), Jersey (2022) and Darlings (2022). Beyond cinematography, he wrote the story for Agni Varsha (2002) and made his directorial debut with Aaja Nachle (2007), the film that marked Madhuri Dixit’s return to the screen.

Mehta played a part in establishing a professional community for his craft: he was one of the founders of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) in 1995. Members of the society add the ISC suffix to their credits, a marker that appears with Mehta’s name on many projects.

Recognition and approach

Mehta’s work has been recognized with several awards for cinematography. His images for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam brought him a National Film Award for Best Cinematography and an IIFA Award in 2000. He won the Screen Award for Best Cinematography for Lagaan in 2002, and received the Guild Award and a Bollywood Movie Award for Best Cinematography for Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2004.

Colleagues and younger cinematographers have cited Mehta’s work as an influence, and he has spoken publicly about the qualities he believes are important in his profession. He emphasizes patience and the ability to listen closely to what is being said and performed as essential to translating action and dialogue into a visual design.

Public profile

Mehta is credited as a cinematographer on many high-profile Hindi films and is known for collaborating with well-known directors and actors. He remains associated with the Film and Television Institute of India as an alumnus; he was among signatories of a 2015 letter concerning the institute’s governance. His listed physical details include a height of approximately 1.72 m (5'8"), weight around 65 kg (143 lbs), black eyes and white hair.

Latest updates

In recent years Mehta continued to work on commercially released films, with credits that include Jersey and Darlings in 2022. He remains active in the industry as a cinematographer, with a body of work spanning mainstream Hindi cinema from the 1990s into the 2020s.
◈

Recent Work

Jersey

Cinematographer

2022
Darlings

Cinematographer

2022
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in 1986
  2. Founded the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) in 1995
  3. National Film Award for Best Cinematography and IIFA Award for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000)
  4. Screen Award for Best Cinematography for Lagaan (2002)
  5. Guild Award and Bollywood Movie Award for Best Cinematography for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2004)
  6. Directed Aaja Nachle (2007) and wrote the story for Agni Varsha (2002)
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Anil Mehta born?

9 February

What is Anil Mehta known for?

Cinematographer