Born in Konkan, Maharashtra in 1988 Archana Ghangrekar is known for her unique adaptive style of shooting a wide range of very different films like All India Rank, Lailaa Manju, Shape of Momo, Gudgudi, In Transit and Secrets of a Mountain Serpent.

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Archana, a graduate of computer engineering, pursued film cinematography from the Film and television Institute of India, Pune. She shot her first feature length 'The bizarre murder of Pristh Tusker' an art house film starring the inimitable Victor Banerjee, at the age of 26.

Her thesis film at FTII 'Meenalap' garnered critical acclaim, winning Grand Prix (Eurasia 2018) and Ritvik Ghatak gold medal the same year. Meenalap depicts the journey of a Bangladeshi immigrant couple navigating life in a foreign city during their nine months of pregnancy. 

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In 2021, Varun Grover asked her to come on board to shoot his directorial debut 'All India Rank' and that changed her world. 

Lauded for its sensitive and beautiful portrayal of conflicts of a 17 year old boy from 1990's of India, the film put Archana on wider radar of cinematographers.

All India Rank was the closing film at Rotterdam in 2023 before releasing in theatres and on Netflix. 

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During COVID lockdown, Archana shot Lailaa Manju, a film set in pandemic-stricken Mumbai. It is a film about a daughter coming out to her mother.  

 

Her recent release is In-Transit a 4 episode series about the journeys of nine extra ordinary trans individuals across India. In transit is produced by Zoya Akhtar-Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby Films and directed by Ayesha Sood. 

The series is globally released on Amazon Prime in June 2025. 

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Secrets of a mountain Serpent, an experimental narrative fiction directed by Nidhi Saxena is premiering at Venice film festival in August 2025. 

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Shape of Momo is a Nepali language feature film she shot in Sikkim last winter with director duo Tribeny Rai and Kislay. The film has won post production grants at NFDC film bazaar and HongKong film market this year. 

Archana's deep passion for her art and craft keeps pushing her to find and work with people she loves and believes in. ​

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" My journey as a cinematographer has taken me to various terrains. I have shot guerrilla style in the crowded by lanes of Benaras, dumping grounds of Mumbai, sweltering hot desert towns of Rajasthan, humid, wet and rainy forests of Kerala capturing the raw unfiltered essence of these places and the faces that reside there.

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I want to tell stories that transcend boundaries and enrich human experience, with like minded people. " 

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Driven by a keen interest in human condition, Archana excels at uncovering the hidden gems within the ordinary routines of life, particularly those of the underprivileged, the exploited and the violated.

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What will her next adventure be?

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