While men are often perceived as the default narrators of stories everywhere, women cinematographers today have banded together to support upcoming cinematographers as well as make their presence felt in a traditionally male dominated space.
Priya Seth
Amritsar-born Priya Seth graduated from being a clapper and assistant cameraman on Deepa Mehta’s Earth (1998) and graduated to music videos and advertisements for FMCG brands. Her USP is her expertise in underwater filming, as witnessed in films like Dhobhi Ghat (2010). Her important mainstream film credits include Barah Aana (2009), Airlift (2016) and Pippa (2023). Airlift in particular earned her praise for its gritty, realistic shots.
Fowzia Fathima
Fowzia debuted as a cinematographer with the National Award winning Mitr – my friend (2002), which was directed by Revathi and boasted of an all woman crew. Her filmography spans across Hindi, English, Tamil and Malayalam industries. She also spearheaded the formation of the Indian Women Cinematographer’s Collective (IWCC). This was formed to support new and established women cinematographers.
B R Vijayalakshmi
B R Vijayalakshmi is the first woman cinematographer of Asia and the oldest active woman cinematographer in the Indian entertainment industry. Daughter of the well known filmmaker B R Panthulu, she entered cinema early on. She was an assistant to cinematographer Ashok Kumar and achieved wider recognition with her work in Nenjathai Killathe (1980). Her filmography is rich and varied as a cinematographer, writer and director. She has also been credited with bringing computer graphics to Tamil television serials.
Savita Singh
Born and raised in Haryana, Savita switched from journalism to cinema and studied at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). (For a quick profile of FTII, read here). She collaborated with experimental filmmaker Amit Dutta on Kramasha, which which her universal acclaim and a National Award in 2007. This was followed 12 years later by another National Award for Sonsi, which also went on to become India’s entry to the Oscars in the short film category. She has also worked with notable filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma in Phoonk (2008) and Prawaal Raman in 404 (2011).
Deepti Gupta
Deepti graduated in cinematography from FTII in 1998. She has shot more than 12 documentaries, of which Laxmi and Me (2007) received widespread recognition. She has worked on both commercial Hindi films like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007) and global parallel cinema like The Fakir of Venice (2019). She has also shot for notable brands both in India and abroad. Her documentary, Shut Up Sona, premiered at MAMI in October 2019 and received a Film Critics Guild Jury Special Mention for its gender sensitive theme.
