CandicePrenderga at 20:22, 11 December 2025

2025-12-11T20:22:45Z

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{{Short description|Indian cinematographer and director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dev Agarwal
| image = Dev Agarwal.jpg
| caption = Dev Agarwal filming CITYLIGHTS
| birth_date = {{birth date text |1984}}
| birth_place = [[Kolkata, West Bengal]], [[India]]
| alma_mater = [[Film and Television Institute of India]], [[Pune]]
| occupation = [[Cinematographer]], [[Director of Photography]]
| known_for = ''[[CityLights (2014 film)|CityLights]]''<br />''[[Bollywood Diaries]]''<br />''Ghamasaan''<br />''Vatarani''<br /> ''Bakra Kriket''
| years active = 2010 - present
| website = {{URL|https://www.devagarwaldp.com}}
| employer =
}}

'''Dev Agarwal''' is an Indian [[cinematographer]] based in [[Mumbai]].<ref name="wica2">{{cite web|url=http://www.wica.in/dev-agarwal-in-a-chat-with-a-cinematographer/|title=Dev Agarwal : In A Chat With A Cinematographer | Western India Cinematographers Association|website=wica.in|date=20 April 2018 |accessdate=2019-09-27}}</ref><ref name="tibetbureau">{{cite web|url=https://tibetbureau.in/the-foundation-for-universal-responsibility/|title=The Foundation for Universal Responsibility | Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama |website=tibetbureau.in|accessdate=2019-09-27}}</ref> 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 (2014 film)|CityLights]]'' directed by [[Hansal Mehta]] and starring [[Rajkummar Rao]]<ref name="jagran.com">{{cite web |title=सिटी लाइट फिल्म के सिनमेटोग्राफर देव अग्रवाल ने सिखाए फोटोग्राफी के गुर - |url=https://www.jagran.com/haryana/rohtak-city-light-film-cinematographer-dev-agarwal-taught-tricks-of-photography-19086087.html |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref> and ''GHAMASAAN'' directed by [[Tigmanshu Dhulia]] starring [[Pratik Gandhi]] & [[Arshad Warsi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=tt33744610 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33744610/ |website=IMDb |access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> He directed the documentary film ''Moved by Love'', which was screened at Cannes film festival.<ref name="jamuura">{{cite web|url=http://www.jamuura.com/blog/41-indian-films-in-the-cannes-short-film-corner-this-year/|website=jamuura.com|title=Jamuura Blog|accessdate=2019-08-29|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829103333/http://www.jamuura.com/blog/41-indian-films-in-the-cannes-short-film-corner-this-year/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was nominated for his work in the international feature film ''[[Invasion 1897]]'' at BON awards in West Africa for best cinematography.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nigerianentertainment.com/2015/12/14/2015-best-of-nollywood-bon-awards-full-list-of-winners/|title=2015 BON Awards -Best of Nollywood Full List of Winners|date=13 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="Bon Awards">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bonawards.com/ |title=Bon Awards |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=13 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013002045/https://www.bonawards.com// |url-status=dead }}</ref> He filmed an advertising campaign for Manforce Condoms "Shut The Phone Up 3"<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/em6Uem8bx8w Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191123002149/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em6Uem8bx8w&feature=youtu.be Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em6Uem8bx8w&t=25s/| title = Manforce Condoms {{!}} Shut The Phone Up 3 | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> which won two golds in the Foxglove advertising awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/advertising/40-golds-won-at-foxglove-awards-2020/|title = 39 golds won at Foxglove Awards 2020| date=20 August 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foxgloveawards.com/winners-award-table.html |title=Winners Table | Foxglove Awards 2020 |access-date=2020-08-23 |archive-date=2020-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823191654/https://foxgloveawards.com/winners-award-table.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="wica">{{cite web|url=http://www.wica.in/dev-agarwal-in-a-chat-with-a-cinematographer/|title=Dev Agarwal : In A Chat With A Cinematographer | Western India Cinematographers Association|website=wica.in|date=20 April 2018 |accessdate=2019-08-29}}</ref>

==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. .<ref name="jamuura"/>
Agarwal made his feature film debut as cinematographer with [[CityLights (2014 film)|CityLights]] (2014),<ref name="jagran.com"/> 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. .<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nigerianentertainment.com/2015/12/14/2015-best-of-nollywood-bon-awards-full-list-of-winners/|title=2015 BON Awards -Best of Nollywood Full List of Winners|date=13 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="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. .<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/advertising/40-golds-won-at-foxglove-awards-2020/|title = 39 golds won at Foxglove Awards 2020| date=20 August 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foxgloveawards.com/winners-award-table.html |title=Winners Table | Foxglove Awards 2020 |access-date=2020-08-23 |archive-date=2020-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823191654/https://foxgloveawards.com/winners-award-table.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Key
| style="background:#ffc;"| {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}
| Denotes projects that have not yet been released
|}

===Feature film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Artists
|-
| 2014
| ''[[CityLights (2014 film)|CityLights]]''
| [[Hansal Mehta]]
|[[Rajkummar Rao]] & [[Patralekha]]
|-
|2014
| ''[[Invasion 1897]]''
| [[Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen]]
| Mike Omoregbee & [[Charles Venn]]
|-
|2016
| ''[[Bollywood Diaries]]''
| K.D.SATYAM
|[[Ashish Vidyarthi]]&[[Raima Sen]]
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Masoom Sawaal]]''
| Santosh Upadhyay
|[[Nitanshi Goel]] & [[Ekavali Khanna]]
|-
| 2024
| ''One Last Time''
| Mohinder Pratap Singh
|[[Amitosh Nagpal]] & [[Boloram Das]]
|-
| 2026
| {{Pending film|''Ghamasaan''}}
| [[Tigmanshu Dhulia]]
|[[Pratik Gandhi]] & [[Arshad Warsi]]
|-
| 2026
| {{Pending film|''Vaitarani''}}
| Akhil Babu
|[[Rashmi Gautam]] & Pradeep Rudra
|-
| 2026
| {{Pending film|''Bakra Kriket''}}
| Rohandeep Singh Bhist
|[[Swanand Kirkire]] & [[Prit Kamani]]
|-
|}

'''Additional Cinematography'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Credit
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Tubelight (2017 Hindi film)|Tubelight]]''
| [[Kabir Khan (director)|Kabir Khan]]
| second unit cinematography
|-
| 2019
| ''Criminal Justice Season 1 (Indian TV series)''
| [[Tigmanshu Dhulia]]
| additional cinematography
|}

'''Documentary film'''
{| class="wikitable"
! 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==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=5070495|name=Dev Agarwal}}
*[http://devagarwaldp.com/ Dev Agarwal Website ]
*[https://www.instagram.com/devagarwal_dp/ Dev Agarwal INSTAGRAM ]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1AkW_UQ3A8&t=4s/ Dev Agarwal INTERVIEW ]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agarwal, Dev}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian cinematographers]]
[[Category:Film and Television Institute of India alumni]]
[[Category:St. Xavier's College, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:Indian documentary film directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Cinematographers from West Bengal]]

Dev Agarwal - Revision history

CandicePrenderga at 20:22, 11 December 2025