The Hollywood Dream. International cinematographer Shivashish Ahuja talks about his journey to the Academy Gold’s Program.
Cinematographers are responsible for making a film impactful with their distinctive visual language. Among these behind-the-scenes heroes, meet Shivashish Ahuja, a talented cinematographer from Kota who dreamed to narrate stories through his point of view and made his way on getting the golden ticket into the Academy Gold’s program.
Hailing from a family of highly-qualified doctors and engineers in Kota, Shivashish dreamt to become a visual storyteller, and fortunately, his aspirations were appreciated by his family. Thus, he decided to take on the world with his keen eye and moved to the United States. Ahuja was fascinated by the concept of capturing moments right from his teens, starting as a photographer.
Advertisement
He interestingly draws his aesthetic from his early years as a dancer, as his belief in, "capturing the right emotions at the right time" translated to both mediums.
Ahuja draws his inspiration from acclaimed veteran cinematographers like Roger Deakins, Ben Kutchins, Shawn Kim, Emmanuel Lubezki, and Hoyte Van
Hoytema.
His dedication has gone so far as to earn him a place in the Academy Gold’s program managed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
He was selected among the seven students for the cinematography program and the eight-week educational experience allowed him to explore the nitty-gritty of the camera world. Currently, he is under the mentorship of directorcinematographer ASC, ISC Michale Goi (known for American Horror Story, The Mentalist, Glee, Avatar: The Last Airbender series, etc.)
Advertisement
Ahuja's go-getter attitude has awarded him the opportunity to work with Grammy Award winners like Billie Eilish, Alessia Cara, and Carlitos Del Puerto.
He happily shares his excitement for being part of an Emmy Award-Winning show Staycation. Among other achievements, he has managed to carve his
path, having even collaborated with the likes of Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Olympic champion Naomi Osaka, global music sensation Tate McRae, and our
very own Diljit Dosanjh.
While the talented cinematographer also wishes to work in India someday, all he needs and wants is a project that can challenge him. Ahuja asserts, "Indian
content is definitely at the boom right now."
"And if I get the right project, I would love to be a part of it," he concludes with a smile.
