View source for Jay Oza

{{Short description|Indian Cinematographer}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = Jay Pinak Oza
| birth_name         = Jay Pinak Oza
| birth_place        = [[Vadodara]], Gujrat, India
| education          = [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda | Maharaja Sayajirao University]] ([[Bachelor of Fine Arts]]) <br> [[Prague Film School]] ([[Cinematography]])
| occupation         = Cinematographer
| years_active       = 2006-present
| organization       = Pink Window Productions
| awards             = [[Filmfare Awards | Filmfare Award]] <br> [[Zee Cine Awards | Zee Cine Award]] <br> [[Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Asia Pacific Screen Award]]
}}

'''Jay Pinak Oza''' is an Indian cinematographer known for his work in Hindi films and web series. He has worked on notable projects such as ''[[Raman Raghav 2.0]]'', ''[[Blackmail (2018 film)|Blackmail]], [[Gully Boy]]'', ''[[Made in Heaven (TV series)|Made in Heaven]]'', ''[[Ghoul (miniseries)|Ghoul]]'' and ''[[Toofaan]]''. He was selected as one of the ten participants for the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] '''Breakthrough India''' talent initiative in 2021.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last1=Ramanujam |first1=Srinivasa |last2=Dundoo |first2=Sangeetha Devi |last3=S |first3=Srivatsan |date=2021-06-10 |title=BAFTA Breakthrough India: First among equals |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/meet-some-of-the-bafta-breakthrough-india-honourees/article34775262.ece |access-date=2025-11-13 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Early life and education ==
Oza was born and raised in [[Vadodara]], Gujarat, India. He pursued a [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]] (B.F.A.) from [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]], majoring in [[art history]] and [[aesthetics]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-29 |title=Meet the 2020/2021 India Breakthroughs |url=https://www.bafta.org/stories/breakthrough-india-2020-21/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Shetye |first=Archit |date=2021-06-08 |title=Through The Lens Of Cinematographer Jay Oza : Gully Boy, Made In Heaven, Ghoul And More. |url=https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-voices/through-the-lens-of-cinematographer-jay-oza-gully-boy-made-in-heaven-ghoul-and-more |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Homegrown |language=en}}</ref> During his college years, he interned as a set [[production assistant]] (PA), which sparked his interest in filmmaking.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Initially working on set as a PA and [[assistant director]] on films such as ''[[Rang De Basanti]]'' and ''[[Jodhaa Akbar]]'', Oza developed an interest in cinematography. To gain formal training, he attended the [[Prague Film School]], where he studied the technical aspects of cinematography.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Career ==

=== Early work ===
After returning to India, Oza assisted cinematographers [[Ayananka Bose]] and [[Sudeep Chatterjee]] on several projects.<ref name=":0" /> His first independent cinematography work was on the music documentary series ''[[The Dewarists]]'' (Season 1 and 2). He also worked on the Indian adaptation of the TV series ''[[24 (Indian TV series)|24]]''.<ref name=":1" />

Oza made his feature film debut with [[Anurag Kashyap]]'s ''[[Raman Raghav 2.0]]'' in 2016.<ref name=":1" /> He subsequently worked on ''[[Ghoul (miniseries)|Ghoul]]'', ''[[Blackmail (2018 film)|Blackmail]]'', and the web series ''[[Made in Heaven (TV series)|Made in Heaven]]'' (Season 1).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Breakthrough and major works ===
Oza gained widespread recognition for his work on [[Zoya Akhtar]]'s ''[[Gully Boy]]'' (2019), which he described as his breakthrough project.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Jay Oza on his Breakthrough |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/vivacity/long-wait-ends.html |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=The Pioneer |language=en}}</ref> In the film, Oza’s cinematography captured the narrow streets of [[Mumbai]] and the contrasting high life of [[Delhi]], blending realism with visual storytelling.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |date=2019-02-17 |title=Zoya Akhtar on 'Gully Boy' and 'Jay Oza' |url=https://scroll.in/reel/913542/zoya-akhtar-on-gully-boy-i-wanted-murad-to-be-the-kind-of-man-i-want-to-see-in-the-world |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref>

He has also worked on [[Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra|Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra]]'s ''[[Toofaan]]'' (2021), [[Aryan Khan]]’s streaming series [[The Ba***ds of Bollywood|''The Bas***ds of Bollywood'']] (2025), and upcoming film ''Jee Le Zaraa'' which will be directed by [[Farhan Akhtar]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2024-05-30 |title=Jay Oza talks about Actors, Industry Culture and Aryan Khan's 'The Bast***ds of Bollywood' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/aryan-khans-stardom-director-jay-oza-reveals-that-in-bollywood-actors-have-a-lot-of-control-says-before-we-are-finalized-the-actor-has-approved-us/articleshow/110564107.cms |access-date=2025-11-13 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Cinematographic style ==
Oza’s work has been noted for its focus on [[Realism (arts)|realism]] and emotional sensitivity in his visual storytelling. He emphasizes the importance of capturing the environment authentically, as seen in ''[[Gully Boy]]'', where mixed lighting conditions in [[Dharavi]] were maintained without over grading, creating an immersive experience.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> He cites cinematographers [[Roger Deakins]] and [[Christopher Doyle]] as key influences and often adapts his style to suit the narrative and characters of each project.<ref name=":1" />

He has discussed the collaborative nature of [[filmmaking]], highlighting the balance between technical execution and managing production dynamics on set.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />

== Recognition ==
In 2021, Oza was selected for the '''BAFTA Breakthrough India''' talent initiative, a year-long mentoring program aimed at supporting the next generation of Indian film, television, and games talent. He was recognized for his work on ''[[Gully Boy]]'' and was among a cohort chosen by a jury of industry experts including [[Anupam Kher]], [[Mira Nair]], and Monika Shergill.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Suri |first=Ridhi |date=2021-06-10 |title=BAFTA Breakthrough list of selected Indian participants |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/news/bafta-breakthrough-india-selected-list-of-participants-revealed-710702 |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=India TV News |language=en}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
===Films===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Year 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:25%;" | Title 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:30%;" | Director
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff;" width:25%;| Role
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Notes 
|-
|rowspan=2 | 2006 || ''[[Rang De Basanti]]'' || [[Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra]] || Set Production Assistant || <ref name=":2" />
|-
| ''[[I See You (2006 film)|I see You]]''
| [[Vivek Agrawal]]
| Assistant Director
|
|-
| 2007 || ''[[Loins of Punjab Presents]]'' || [[Manish Acharya]]|| Assistant Director
| <ref>{{cite web
 | title        = End Credits: Loins Of Punjab Presents
 | website      = Loins Of Punjab Presents Official Site
 | publisher    = Loins Of Punjab Presents
 | date         = 2007-09-21
 | url          = https://www.loinsofpunjabpresents.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/END-CREDITS-Loins-Of-Punjab-Presents.pdf
 | access-date  = 2025-11-13
}}</ref>
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Jodhaa Akbar]]'' || [[Ashutosh Gowariker]]|| Set Production Assistant
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
| 2016 || ''[[Raman Raghav 2.0]]'' || [[Anurag Kashyap]] || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2016-06-24 |title=Raman Raghav 2.0 Cast List {{!}} Raman Raghav 2.0 Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/raman-raghav-2-0/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2018
|''[[Blackmail (2018 film)|Blackmail]]''
|[[Abhinay Deo]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2018-04-06 |title=Blackmail Cast List {{!}} Blackmail Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/blackmail-2/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2019
|''[[Gully Boy]]''
|[[Zoya Akhtar]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2019-02-14 |title=Gully Boy Cast List {{!}} Gully Boy Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/gully-boy/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2020 || ''[[Unpaused]]'' ||  [[Nikkhil Advani]], [[Avinash Arun]], [[Tannishtha Chatterjee]], [[Krishna D.K.]], [[Nitya Mehra]], [[Raj Nidimoru]] || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |date=2020-12-18 |title='Unpaused' review: Amazon Prime Video anthology film finds the rainbow in the Covid-19 storm |url=https://scroll.in/reel/981356/unpaused-review-amazon-prime-video-anthology-film-finds-the-rainbow-in-the-covid-19-storm |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmaffinity.com%2Fus%2Ffullcredits.php%3Fmovie_id%3D383397 |title=Full credits of "Unpaused " |language=en |access-date=2025-11-14 |via=www.filmaffinity.com}}</ref>
|-
| 2021 || ''[[Toofaan]]'' || [[Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra]] || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2021-07-16 |title=Toofaan Cast List {{!}} Toofaan Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/toofaan/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Haddi]]'' || Akshat Ajay Sharma || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2023-09-07 |title=Haddi Cast List {{!}} Haddi Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haddi/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2024 || ''[[Yudhra]]'' || Ravi Udyawar || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2024-09-20 |title=Yudhra Cast List {{!}} Yudhra Movie Star Cast {{!}} Release Date {{!}} Movie Trailer {{!}} Review- Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/yudhra/cast/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|}

===Series===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Year 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:25%;" | Title 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:30%;" | Director
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff;" width:25%;| Role
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Notes 
|-
| 2011–2012 || ''[[The Dewarists]]'' || Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Ayesha Sood || Cinematographer
|<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=2014-06-23 |title=Vadodara boy finds calling in cinematography |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/gujarati/jay-oza-barodaian-jay-oza-is-making-strong-inroads-in-films-and-television/articleshow/37084060.cms |access-date=2025-11-14 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
|-
|2012
|''[[Bring On the Night (TV series)|Bring on the Night]]''
|Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy
|Cinematographer
|<ref name=":6" />
|-
|2013
|''[[24 (Indian TV series)|24]]''
|[[Rensil D'Silva]], [[Abhinay Deo]], [[Nitya Mehra]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref name=":6" />
|-
|2014
|''Tandanu''
|[[Spandan Banerjee]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-
|2016
|''Love Shots''
|[[Manoj Sharma]], Ankur Tiwari
|Cinematographer
"Episode 2 named ''Textbook''"
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2016 |title=Love Shots' 3rd Short Film 'Textbook' premieres on YouTube today! |url=https://www.yashrajfilms.com/news/detail/2016/05/20/3rd-short-film-under-love-shots-textbook-premieres-on-youtube-today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713051522/https://www.yashrajfilms.com/news/detail/2016/05/20/3rd-short-film-under-love-shots-textbook-premieres-on-youtube-today |archive-date=2025-07-13 |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=www.yashrajfilms.com |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|2018
|''[[Ghoul (miniseries)|Ghoul]]''
|Patrick Graham
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmaffinity.com%2Fus%2Ffullcredits.php%3Fmovie_id%3D628961 |title=Full credits of "Ghoul (TV Miniseries)" |language=en |access-date=2025-11-14 |via=www.filmaffinity.com}}</ref>
|-
|2019
|''Voice of the Streets''
|Arjun Varain Singh, Siddhant Goswami, [[Zoya Akhtar]]
|Cinematographer
|
|-
|2019
|''[[Made in Heaven (TV series)|Made in Heaven]]''
|[[Nitya Mehra]], [[Zoya Akhtar]], [[Reema Kagti]], [[Prashant Nair]], [[Alankrita Shrivastava]], [[Neeraj Ghaywan]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmaffinity.com%2Fus%2Ffullcredits.php%3Fmovie_id%3D903885 |title=Full credits of "Made in Heaven (TV Series)" |language=en |access-date=2025-11-14 |via=www.filmaffinity.com}}</ref>
|-
|2019
|''[[Flip (TV series)|Flip]]''
|[[Bejoy Nambiar]], Aman Sachdeva
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flip season 1 |url=https://cinetown.org/ott/Jio%20Cinema/503/season/1 |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Cine town |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2022
|''[[Vir Das: Landing]]''
|[[Vir Das]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmaffinity.com%2Fus%2Ffullcredits.php%3Fmovie_id%3D506221 |title=Full credits of "Vir Das: Landing (TV)" |language=en |access-date=2025-11-14 |via=www.filmaffinity.com}}</ref>
|-
|2025
|''[[The Ba***ds of Bollywood]]''
|[[Aryan Khan]]
|Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-11 |title=Jay Oza on shooting Aryan Khan's debut 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' {{!}} EXCLUSIVE |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/interview/jay-oza-bads-of-bollywood-interview-j5dqrf4d |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=@mathrubhumi |language=en}}</ref>
|}

=== Short Films ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Year 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:20%;" | Title 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:35%;" | Director
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff;" width:25%;| Role
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Notes 
|-
| 2016 || [[Chutney (film)|''Chutney'']]|| [[Jyoti Kapur Das]]|| Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chutney Credits - Full Cast and Crew |url=https://www.moviefone.com/movie/chutney/gxss6HOBf9TtjdniLbSlD1/credits/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Moviefone |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2018 || ''August 25''|| Gautam Parvi || Cinematographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=August 25 {{!}} Cast and Crew {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/august_25/cast-and-crew |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>
|}

== Awards and nominations ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Year 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:23%;" | Award 
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:22%;" | Category
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff;" width:23%;| Outcome
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff;" width:12%;| Work
! style="background-color:#000000; color:#ffffff; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ffffff; width:10%;" | Notes 
|-
| 2016
|[[Asia Pacific Screen Awards]]
|[[Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Cinematographer|Achievement in Cinematography]]
|{{nominated}}
|''[[Raman Raghav 2.0]]''
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Archives |url=https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/apsa-nominees-winners/2016 |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Asia Pacific Screen Awards |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|2020
|FOI Online Award
|Best Cinematography
|{{won}}
|''[[Gully Boy]]''
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foionlineawards.com/post/5thfoioa-winners-announced-ivan-ayr-s-soni-bags-the-best-feature-film-gully-boy-scores-big|website=www.foionlineawards.com|access-date=2025-11-27|title=5th FOI Online Awards 2020 Winners Announced}}</ref>
|-
|[[65th Filmfare Awards|2020]]
|[[Filmfare Awards|Filmfare Award]]
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
|{{won}}
|''Gully Boy''
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Filmfare Awards Winners From 1953 to 2025 |url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=filmfare.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-02-03 |title=65th Filmfare Awards 2020: Technical and Short Films Awards Announced! |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/filmfare-2020-technical-and-short-films-awards-announced/articleshow/73881586.cms |access-date=2025-11-14 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
|-
|[[21st IIFA Awards|2020]]
|[[International Indian Film Academy Awards|IIFA Award]]
|[[IIFA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
|{{Won}}
|''Gully Boy''
|
|-
|2020
|[[Zee Cine Awards|Zee Cine Award]]
|[[Zee Cine Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
|{{won}}
|''Gully Boy''
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 – Zee Cine Awards |url=https://zeecineawards.com/zca-2020/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2020
|[[Screen Awards|Screen Award]]
|[[Screen Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
|{{Won}}
|''Gully Boy''
|
|}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{imdbname|2607764}}
* [https://www.instagram.com/ozajay/ Jay Oza] at [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jay_oza Jay Oza] at [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
* [https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/jay-oza/filmography/ Jay Oza] at [[Bollywood Hungama]]
{{Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Oza, Jay}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Vadodara]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian male artists]]
[[Category:Artists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Hindi film cinematographers]]
[[Category:Cinematographers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Filmfare Awards winners]]
[[Category:International Indian Film Academy Awards winners]]
[[Category:Zee Cine Awards winners]]
[[Category:Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda alumni]]