Bhubaneswar: His journey from Tarakor in Konark to Mumbai is the stuff that documentaries are made of. When he set foot in the city of dreams, little did Manoj Kumar Khatoi know that he would end up becoming the most sought after cinematographer in Bollywood.
A mediocre student, his keen observational skills and love for nature led him to try his hand at photography. His passion for the art grew with every picture he clicked. With time, it led him to pursue a degree in cinematography from the Film and Television Institute of Odisha, Cuttack.
The next logical step seemed to be a foray into Bollywood. And so, Manoj left his home state where he was born and studied, to make it big in Mumbai. However, it was only after four years that he got a breakthrough in Bollywood.
He has since then worked on several Bollywood films, including ‘Talash’, ‘Fukrey’, ‘Don’, ‘Aja Nachle,’ ‘Miss Lovely’ as an associate cinematographer, in ‘Raees’ as a second unit cinematographer and ‘Notebook’ as director of photography.
Manoj has also worked in the upcoming post-production Netflix series ‘Finding Anamika’ starring Madhuri Dixit produced by Karan Johar. Currently, he is engaged in his upcoming movie, ‘Oonchayi,’ produced by Sooraj R. Barjatya starring Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Parineeti Chopra, Boman Irani, Neena Gupta, Sarika, Danny Denzongpa.
Besides movies, Manoj has also made documentaries for international channels like the BBC and has shot many television commercials pan India and internationally. Being an ardent nature lover, Manoj always brings a new concept to his cinematography with his innovative approach.
“When I look at nature, all I want to do is record it. The beauty of nature makes me feel like a writer or an artist. It helps me create visual art in my mind,” says Manoj.
Although still relatively new in Bollywood, Manoj was director of photography for ‘Raees’ and is raking in accolades from critics and audiences alike. With three films under his belt in less than a few years of filming, Manoj’s career as a cinematographer is on a roll.
However, early success has not satiated his hunger to work more. He’s brimming with fresh ideas. As soon as he’s done shooting for one film, he’s already on to the next. “My work has no boundaries,” he says.
