Alternate Movies

In aakrosh as soon as the movie starts you see the scenes of lakhania close-ups after burning his wife. All dark just a close up of him, then his father and the rest, a minimal music in the background. Everything is minimal in that scene but the impact is deep. Without speaking a word you are already made to feel the tension and become curious about that character.That says his success as a cinemetographer.

OM puri in aakrosh

Nana Palsikar in aakrosh

Nihalani's words

The first and the most essential thing to study is the lighting because it is the lighting which gives a different kind of feel to the film. Every cameraman has a preference for a certain kind of lighting for eg I have a little liking for half lit faces. Composition is another important factor.

Sometimes i wish it is all night in nihalani movies. For the night brings the uncertainty, the lurking danger. It frightens the character that is already threatened, pushing the already confused mind into dark. And that is when the master plays on his characters, intensifying the scenes with emotions in close-ups of partially lit faces.

Amrish puri in Aakrosh

Nihalani is a cinematographer of his own style, unlike other cinematographers who indulge in capturing the natural beauty of mountains, rivers and greenery, nihalai indulges in capturing the human expressions. And capture it in a way you won’t forget.

Om puri in ardh satya

He brilliantly uses lighting in his movies to add so much to the scenes. The scene becomes highly intense and the visuals gets etched into your mind.Overall the scene is enhanced many folds because of the way the objects in the frame are lit.

Jaya bachan in Haazar chaurasi ki Maa

A light source is kept at a distance, in a dark room. That light brings out the thoughts of the character, the character is in touch with itself, a moment of consciousness at work, captured in celluloid.

Om puri in ardh satya

A light source and a half lit face, a trademark nihalani shot comes in so many movies.But it never bores me.It doesn't matter whether it is the beautiful smita patil or the old Nana Palsikar.The shot of smita in partial light is one of my favourite.Her dusky beauty enhanced many folds by the light.

Smita in aakrosh

Kunal Kapoor in Vijeta

Jaya bachan in Hazar chaurasi ki Maa




Nihalani loves the lamps that would be an understatement. All his movies will have various scenes played near light source. This kind of lighting and characters placement around it i think is to make the user more focused on the character and its expression that the usual distraction that happens when so many objects are in the frame. Another way of bringing to the color films the undistracted attention that the audiences give to the characters in a black and white movie.

Nanditha das in Hazar chaurasi ki Maa

smita in ardh sathya

Mita vashisht and om puri in droh kaal

rekha and sashi in vijeta


Aashish vidhyarthi in drooh kaal

Aashish vidhyarthi and om puri in droh kaal


Aashish vidhyarthi and om puri in droh kaal

Mita vashisht and om puri in droh kaal

Amrish puri in ardh sathya



Ompuri in tamas

Aakrosh