From Cinematographer to Director – The Inspiring Journey of Ranjan Mishra

Despite lacking formal training from any educational institution, he has achieved remarkable recognition as one of the leading cinematographers in both the Odia Cine Industry and Bollywood.

After graduating from Ravenshaw College in 1989, Ranjan Mishra began his career as an assistant to the esteemed cinematographer-director Apurba Kishore Bir. Throughout his career, he contributed to several notable projects, including AK Bir’s ‘Adi Mimansa’, the children’s film ‘Labanya Preeti’, ‘Sesha Drushti’, and the Telugu film ‘Maati Mangulu’.

Ranjan Mishra made a name for himself in Bollywood as an operative cameraman for JP Dutta’s ‘LOC: Kargil (2003)‘ and Gurdev Bhalla’s ‘Shararat (2002)‘, featuring Abhishek Bachchan. However, it was the renowned actor-director Sadhu Meher who brought him back to Odisha, where Ranjan served as a cinematographer for several of Meher’s telefilms. His debut as a cinematographer in an Odia film came with ‘Rahichi Rahibi Tori Pain (2003)’, thanks to the encouragement of his classmate and prominent producer Prabhanshu Samantharay. Directed by the versatile Sanjay Nayak, this film earned Ranjan the State Film Award for Best Cinematographer. He later collaborated again with Nayak on ‘Mate Anidela Lakhe Phaguna’.

Transitioning into directing, Ranjan helmed producer Babu Singh’s first Odia film, ‘Hasiba Puni Mo Suna Sansar’, which received acclaim from both audiences and critics, with Ranjan also taking on the role of cinematographer. Currently, he has three Odia films in the pipeline: ‘Babaji Ka Thulu’, ‘Samikhya’, and ‘Manyata’. The first is a comedy, while the latter two tackle social themes. Ranjan emphasizes that ‘Samikhya’ and ‘Manyata’ reflect societal realities, and he is open to working with emerging talent, as seen in ‘Manyata’, where he cast several new artists. ‘Samikhya’ highlights the challenges faced by elderly parents of children living abroad.

Additionally, Ranjan is gearing up to direct another Odia film titled ‘Tuan Tuin’, which tells the story of an elderly couple who, after 40 years, leave the city and the allure of their children to return to their village. He intends to continue exploring unique and realistic social issues through his films.