Amalendu Chaudhary

Amalendu, straight outta Mumbai, has been hustling behind the camera for, what, over a decade now? The dude’s worked on everything from scrappy indie flicks to those massive, big-banner Bollywood bonanzas. Old-school film? He’s done it—16mm, 35mm. Latest digital gear? All over it. Seriously, he’s not the type to get stuck in the past or miss the latest trend; he’s like a chameleon with a camera. The guy’s racked up credits on 25+ films—Marathi, Hindi, you name it—spanning every genre you can think of. Awards? Yeah, he’s got a shelf full. But his big breakout was “Harishchandrachi Factory,” that wild ride about Dadasaheb Phalke making India’s first feature film. Not just a festival darling, it went all the way to the Oscars as India’s official entry in 2010. No big deal, right? 2018 was bonkers for him. He grabbed the Maharashtra State Award and a Filmfare for “Hampi” and “Cycle.” Seven of his movies dropped in cinemas that year—imagine the energy drinks involved. “Stree” was a monster hit (pun intended), and “Nude” got festival crowds buzzing. He kicked off “Chhichhore” with Nitesh Tiwari, and that one cleaned up at the box office, snagging a National Award for Best Hindi Film. Most recently, he shot “Roohi” with Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, and he’s currently busy with “Fukrey 3.” Amalendu’s not just about the tech—he calls himself a ‘Chalatchitrakaar,’ an artist with a camera, painting stories frame by frame.