Avinash Arun

Biography:

Avinash Arun, born on November 20, 1985, is an Indian cinematographer and film director known for his critically acclaimed films Killa (2014) and Three of Us (2023). As a cinematographer, he has worked on several notable Hindi films, including Masaan, Drishyam, Madaari, and Hichki.

His first Marathi directorial film, Killa, received international recognition, winning the Crystal Bear Award from the children’s jury at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. The film was also honored with the Best Feature Film in Marathi at the 62nd National Film Awards.

Born in Solapur, Maharashtra, Arun was raised in Talegaon, a small town near Pune, where his father worked in a cotton mill. He initially pursued a part-time photography course at a government institute that helped local youth set up photo studios. After completing the course, he started shooting wedding videos and birthday parties.

At the age of 16, Arun worked as a production assistant on the Marathi film Devrai (2004). His next opportunity came as a production assistant for the diploma film of Umesh Kulkarni, then a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. This experience led him to assist several FTII students with their projects over the next five to six years.

In 2006, Arun officially joined FTII, Pune, where he specialized in cinematography. His career in cinematography took off with the short film That Day After Every Day in 2013. He later worked as the director of cinematography for Masaan in 2015 and has been involved in several other film projects, including an untitled film by Manish Mundra.

In 2020, Avinash Arun directed Paatal Lok, a web series produced by Anushka Sharma, which received widespread critical acclaim. His work continues to be recognized for its strong storytelling and visual excellence.