Jay Pinak Oza is an Indian cinematographer known for his work in Hindi films and web series. He has worked on notable projects such as Raman Raghav 2.0, Blackmail, Gully Boy, Made in Heaven, Ghoul and Toofaan. He was selected as one of the ten participants for the BAFTA Breakthrough India talent initiative in 2021.
Early life and education Oza was born and raised in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. He pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, majoring in art history and aesthetics. During his college years, he interned as a set production assistant (PA), which sparked his interest in filmmaking.
Initially working on set as a PA and assistant director on films such as Rang De Basanti and Jodhaa Akbar, Oza developed an interest in cinematography. To gain formal training, he attended the Prague Film School, where he studied the technical aspects of cinematography.
Career
Early work After returning to India, Oza assisted cinematographers Ayananka Bose and Sudeep Chatterjee on several projects. His first independent cinematography work was on the music documentary series The Dewarists (Season 1 and 2). He also worked on the Indian adaptation of the TV series 24.
Oza made his feature film debut with Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 in 2016. He subsequently worked on Ghoul, Blackmail, and the web series Made in Heaven (Season 1).
Breakthrough and major works Oza gained widespread recognition for his work on Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy (2019), which he described as his breakthrough project. In the film, Oza’s cinematography captured the narrow streets of Mumbai and the contrasting high life of Delhi, blending realism with visual storytelling.
He has also worked on Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra's Toofaan (2021), Aryan Khan’s streaming series The Bas***ds of Bollywood (2025), and upcoming film Jee Le Zaraa which will be directed by Farhan Akhtar.
Cinematographic style Oza’s work has been noted for its focus on realism and emotional sensitivity in his visual storytelling. He emphasizes the importance of capturing the environment authentically, as seen in Gully Boy, where mixed lighting conditions in Dharavi were maintained without over grading, creating an immersive experience. He cites cinematographers Roger Deakins and Christopher Doyle as key influences and often adapts his style to suit the narrative and characters of each project.
He has discussed the collaborative nature of filmmaking, highlighting the balance between technical execution and managing production dynamics on set.
Recognition In 2021, Oza was selected for the BAFTA Breakthrough India talent initiative, a year-long mentoring program aimed at supporting the next generation of Indian film, television, and games talent. He was recognized for his work on Gully Boy and was among a cohort chosen by a jury of industry experts including Anupam Kher, Mira Nair, and Monika Shergill.
Filmography Films Year Title Director Role Notes 2006 Rang De Basanti Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Set Production Assistant I see You Vivek Agrawal Assistant Director 2007 Loins of Punjab Presents Manish Acharya Assistant Director 2008 Jodhaa Akbar Ashutosh Gowariker Set Production Assistant 2016 Raman Raghav 2.0 Anurag Kashyap Cinematographer2018BlackmailAbhinay DeoCinematographer2019Gully BoyZoya AkhtarCinematographer 2020 Unpaused Nikkhil Advani, Avinash Arun, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Krishna D.K., Nitya Mehra, Raj Nidimoru Cinematographer 2021 Toofaan Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Cinematographer 2023 Haddi Akshat Ajay Sharma Cinematographer 2024 Yudhra Ravi Udyawar Cinematographer
Series
Year Title Director Role Notes 2011–2012 The Dewarists Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Ayesha Sood Cinematographer2012Bring on the NightVishwesh KrishnamoorthyCinematographer201324Rensil D'Silva, Abhinay Deo, Nitya MehraCinematographer2014TandanuSpandan BanerjeeCinematographer2016Love ShotsManoj Sharma, Ankur TiwariCinematographer "Episode 2 named Textbook"2018GhoulPatrick GrahamCinematographer2019Voice of the StreetsArjun Varain Singh, Siddhant Goswami, Zoya AkhtarCinematographer2019Made in HeavenNitya Mehra, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Prashant Nair, Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj GhaywanCinematographer2019FlipBejoy Nambiar, Aman SachdevaCinematographer2022Vir Das: LandingVir DasCinematographer2025The Ba***ds of BollywoodAryan KhanCinematographer
Short Films
Year Title Director Role Notes 2016 Chutney Jyoti Kapur Das Cinematographer 2018 August 25 Gautam Parvi Cinematographer
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Outcome Work Notes 2016Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAchievement in CinematographyRaman Raghav 2.02020FOI Online AwardBest CinematographyGully Boy2020Filmfare AwardBest CinematographyGully Boy2020IIFA AwardBest CinematographyGully Boy2020Zee Cine AwardBest CinematographyGully Boy2020Screen AwardBest CinematographyGully Boy
References
External links
Jay Oza at Instagram Jay Oza at Rotten Tomatoes Jay Oza at Bollywood Hungama