Anil Mehta is a renowned Indian cinematographer, film director, and writer who has made significant contributions to Hindi cinema. A founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC), Mehta began his career assisting Ketan Mehta on films like Holi (1984) and Mirch Masala (1987) while still a student. His debut as a cinematographer came with the Indo-German short film The Cloud Door (1994), followed by his first full-length feature, Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), marking Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial debut. Mehta won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1999 for his stunning work on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and gained further acclaim for his work on the Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001).