Vikash Nowlakha
Vikash Nowlakha | |
|---|---|
| Education | University of Tasmania New York Film Academy |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Website | vikashnowlakha |
Vikash Nowlakha is a cinematographer and filmmaker known for his gritty, raw, and stylised aesthetic. He has worked as a director of photography for feature films like Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009), Laapataa Ladies (2024), and Dhurandhar (2025). In addition to his work in films, he has also shot TV commercials worldwide for the New York Knicks, Nike Jordan, Maserati, BMW, Fevicol and Ambuja Cements and various other International brands, which have garnered several awards and accolades.
Early life
Vikash Nowlakha graduated in Philosophy from the University of Tasmania (1997). In 2001, he enrolled at the New York Film Academy to study cinematography.[1][2]
Career
Nowlakha began his professional journey in the film industry in 1997 after moving to Mumbai, where he took up his first role as an assistant director at an advertising production house.[3]
In the late 1990s, he served as a producer at MTV, which sparked his interest in visual storytelling.[1]
Over the following decade, he built experience in commercial filmmaking. His early work primarily involved television commercials for international automotive brands including Maserati, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, Yamaha, Lexus, Honda, Škoda, Vespa and Fiat, as well as campaigns for Nike, Adidas, Fevicol, Ambuja Cements, and the NBA team New York Knicks.[4][1][3][2][5]
Nowlakha gained wider recognition in 2009 with the film Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, directed by Shimit Amin.[6]
After a period largely focused on advertising, he returned to major long-form projects with the documentary The Year Earth Changed (2021), narrated by David Attenborough. In 2022, he worked on the BBC series The Green Planet, the Hindi web series Bloody Brothers, and the fantasy film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, directed by Ayan Mukerji.[7][1][2][8]
In 2024, he served as director of photography for Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao. For his work on the film, he received the Best Cinematography award at the 2025 Zee Cine Awards and a nomination at the 70th Filmfare Awards. The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film for the 97th Academy Awards.[3][9][10]
In 2025, he received critical acclaim for his cinematography on Dhurandhar - the highest-grossing Hindi film in India as of 2026, and is also credited on its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026).[11]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Dus Kahaniyaan | Hindi | ||
| 2008 | Woodstock Villa | |||
| 2009 | Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year | |||
| 2021 | The Year Earth Changed | English | Documentary | |
| 2022 | The Green Planet | Television series | ||
| Bloody Brothers | Hindi | Web series | ||
| Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva | ||||
| 2024 | Laapataa Ladies | [3] | ||
| 2025 | Dhurandhar | [12][13] | ||
| 2026 | Dhurandhar: The Revenge |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Film | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Zee Cine Awards | Best Cinematography | Won | Laapataa Ladies | [9] |
| 70th Filmfare Awards | Best Cinematography | Nominated | [10] |
References
- ^ a b c d "Vikash Nowlakha". Good Ads Matter. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Team | 03/04/2012, Campaign India. "New appointments at Bang Bang Films". Campaign India. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "'Laapataa Ladies' and Sony Venice: an Insight Into Vikash Nowlakha's Filmmaking Process". Sony Alpha Community. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "Ambuja Khali". Metropolitana. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ Joshi | 15/10/2012, Radhika. "Video: Campaign India 'Love That Ad'". Campaign India. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year Movie Review {3.5/5}: Critic Review of Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year by Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ EP 193 - Behind Netflix's Laapataa Ladies: DP Vikash Nowlakha - Kingdom of Dreams Podcast. 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2026-02-22 – via www.kingdomofdreamspodcast.com.
- ^ "'Brahmastra' movie review: Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt's film works for its special effects, not for its story". Wion. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ a b "Winners of the Zee Cine Awards 2025 2025 : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ^ a b "List of Nominations for 70th Filmfare Awards 2025". Filmfare. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ^ SHETYE, AAKANKSHA NAVAL (15 December 2025). "DHURANDHAR BTS: Here's how Aditya Dhar and DoP Vikash Nowlakha built the authentic and real look of the Ranveer Singh hit!". Filmfare Middle East.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Inside the visual grit of Dhurandhar: How Aditya Dhar and Vikash Nowlakha crafted this Ranveer Singh starrer spy thriller that feels real". Bollywood Hungama. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "DOP Vikash Nowlakha Reveals How Aditya Dhar and He Built The Look of Dhurandhar". Filmfare. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2026.