Dev Agarwal is an Indian cinematographer based in Mumbai. An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), his work spans feature films, documentaries, shorts, advertising, and corporate films. He is best known for his cinematography in CityLights directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Rajkummar Rao and GHAMASAAN directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia starring Pratik Gandhi & Arshad Warsi. He directed the documentary film Moved by Love, which was screened at Cannes film festival. He was nominated for his work in the international feature film Invasion 1897 at BON awards in West Africa for best cinematography. He filmed an advertising campaign for Manforce Condoms "Shut The Phone Up 3"Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: which won two golds in the Foxglove advertising awards. Dev’s recent work includes Tigmanshu Dhulia’s biopic Ghamasaan, starring Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi, which premiered at the MAMI International Film Festival to strong acclaim. His upcoming projects include the Telugu feature film Vaitarani starring Rashmi Gautam and the Hindi feature Bakra Kriket starring Prit Kamani & Swanand Kirkire.
Early life and education Dev Agarwal was born in 1984 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Growing up in a city rich in cultural heritage, he was exposed to visual arts, theatre, and cinema from an early age, which significantly influenced his later work as a cinematographer. Agarwal pursued his undergraduate studies in Mass Communication and Film Studies at St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. During this time, he began assisting renowned filmmakers such as Govind Nihalani and Anik Dutta, gaining practical experience in the industry. He further honed his skills by obtaining a diploma in photography from the Society of Photographers, Kolkata. He then attended the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, where he completed his postgraduate training in cinematography. At FTII, Agarwal received formal grounding in both technical practice and visual theory, shaping his approach to cinematography. Agarwal's visual philosophy is influenced by a diverse range of filmmakers and artists. He draws inspiration from the painterly use of light and color by Vittorio Storaro, the humanist realism of Satyajit Ray, and the socio-political imagery of Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. Additionally, he finds influence in Italian neorealism, particularly Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, and the visual storytelling of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. Beyond cinema, Agarwal has acknowledged the impact of impressionist painters such as Claude Monet on his sensitivity to natural light and tonal gradation.
Career
After completing his education, Dev Agarwal began working as a cinematographer on travel documentaries, which took him to various countries across Southeast Asia and beyond. His early documentary work includes Unheard Voices, which focused on the experiences of Tibetan refugees and was screened at multiple film festivals. Another notable documentary, Moved by Love (2015), explored the welfare of abandoned donkeys and was screened at the Cannes Court Métrage section of the Cannes Film Festival. . Agarwal made his feature film debut as cinematographer with CityLights (2014), directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Rajkummar Rao. The film, a remake of the BAFTA-nominated British film Metro Manila, received critical acclaim for its storytelling and performances. Critics highlighted Agarwal’s cinematography for its naturalistic lighting, immersive framing, and emotional resonance. He later worked on the international historical drama Invasion 1897 (2014), which earned him a nomination for Best Cinematography at West Africa’s BON Awards. . In addition to feature films, Agarwal has shot advertising campaigns, including the Manforce Condoms campaign Shut The Phone Up 3, which won two Golds at the Foxglove Advertising Awards. . Known for his versatile approach, Agarwal adapts his cinematographic style to the narrative requirements of each project, balancing naturalism with lyrical visual composition. His recent work includes Tigmanshu Dhulia’s biopic Ghamasaan, starring Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi, which premiered at the MAMI International Film Festival. Upcoming projects include the Telugu feature Vaitarni, starring Rashmi Gautam, and Bakra Kriket, produced by Harman Baweja.
Selected filmography +Key Denotes projects that have not yet been released
Feature film Year Title Director Artists 2014 CityLights Hansal MehtaRajkummar Rao & Patralekha2014 Invasion 1897 Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen Mike Omoregbee & Charles Venn2016 Bollywood Diaries K.D.SATYAMAshish Vidyarthi&Raima Sen 2022 Masoom Sawaal Santosh UpadhyayNitanshi Goel & Ekavali Khanna 2024 One Last Time Mohinder Pratap SinghAmitosh Nagpal & Boloram Das 2026 Tigmanshu DhuliaPratik Gandhi & Arshad Warsi 2026 Akhil BabuRashmi Gautam & Pradeep Rudra 2026 Rohandeep Singh BhistSwanand Kirkire & Prit Kamani
Additional Cinematography Year Title Director Credit 2014 Tubelight Kabir Khan second unit cinematography 2019 Criminal Justice Season 1 (Indian TV series) Tigmanshu Dhulia additional cinematography
Documentary film Year Title Director 2012 Unheard Voices and notes to myself Dev Agarwal 2014 Light from many lamps: beyond the last rainbow Dev Agarwal 2015 Everest: the other side of belief Dev Agarwal 2015 Moved by love Dev Agarwal 2025 Riderboy Mohinder Pratap Singh
References
External links
Dev Agarwal Website Dev Agarwal INSTAGRAM Dev Agarwal INTERVIEW