Divakar Mani

Biography

Divakar Mani is an Indian cinematographer and filmmaker who has worked across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. He is known for his work in cinematography, camera operations and visual storytelling. He has developed experience in both feature films and short films, collaborating with several established directors and production teams.

He first gained recognition for his contribution to the Tamil action thriller Thuppakki (2012), starring Vijay and directed by A. R. Murugadoss. He worked in the camera and electrical department as a second-unit cinematographer, contributing to the film's visual production.

His professional journey began with training in cinematography at the Film Institute of Chennai, where he earned a gold medal. He subsequently worked as an assistant to acclaimed cinematographer Santosh Sivan for approximately six years, gaining valuable experience in camera techniques, lighting and visual composition.

Apart from cinema, Divakar has worked on more than 100 advertisements and several documentaries. He also spent seven years working as a video journalist for NDTV, covering international conflicts, natural disasters and social issues.

One of his documentary projects, Killing Fields, received the Commonwealth Broadcast Asia Award and helped him obtain a fellowship to study digital filmmaking in New York. He has also received a Best Cinematography award from the Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber for Keshava.

Telugu cinema Cinematographer

Cinematography style

Divakar's approach to cinematography emphasizes natural lighting, camera movement, composition and the visual mood of a scene. He carefully studies locations and lighting conditions before filming. He believes that camera angles, movement and lighting should support the emotions and storytelling of a film.