HI! I AM NEERAJ, aka NEEJ.
AS A FIRST GENERATION INDIAN WHO GREW UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MY PARENTS IMPARTED THEIR WORLD AND CULTURE ONTO ME THROUGH INDIAN CINEMA AND PERHAPS THAT’S WHERE MY INTEREST IN STORYTELLING STARTED... ESPECIALLY THROUGH IMAGERY. OVER THE YEARS I DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I TRANSITIONED INTO CREATING 24 FRAMES PER SECOND
CHASING THESE CREATIVE ENDEAVORS BROUGHT ME TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY’S TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. HERE I FELL IN LOVE WITH A CITY THAT GAVE ME SO MUCH TO CAPTURE THROUGH MY LENS. DURING MY TIME AT NYU, I SHOT MANY SHORT FILMS AND RECEIVED THE NYU’S FACULTY COMMENDATION IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
AFTER GRADUATING, I WORKED ON SHOWS SUCH AS MASTER OF NONE, ELEMENTARY, AND GYPSY AS AN ELECTRIC. I ALSO COMPLETED THE ASC MASTERCLASS BY ONE OF MY FAVORITE CINEMATOGRAPHERS, RODRIGO PRIETO A.S.C.
MORE RECENTLY, I SHOT A FEATURE FILM CALLED THE SOUND OF THE WIND. IT’S AVAILABLE ON VARIOUS PLATFORMS. I ALSO SHOT EPISODES FOR THE SECOND SEASON OF Zoya Akhtar’s international emmy-award nominated MADE IN HEAVEN For Amazon prime.
I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO CALL NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, AND BOMBAY MY HOMES. THERE ARE STORIES TO BE SHARED FROM VARIOUS CORNERS OF THE WORLD AND I HOPE TO DO SO THROUGH MY FILMMAKING
I HOPE THAT MY WORK WILL ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL THE WORLD, MEET NEW PEOPLE, AND EXPLORE NEW CULTURES. my friends call me a nomad, so IF I’m NOT ON SET, YOU’LL FIND ME SHOOTING STILLS SOMEWHERE OFF THE BEATEN PATH
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influential movieS:
Intouchables, Leon: The Professional, Road to Perdition, The Dark Knight, Blood Diamond, The Aviator, Babel, Finding Neverland, Biutiful, skyfall, Casino Royale, Carol, Bicycle Thief, Interstellar, Guzaarish, Rounders, Normal People
