Скачать или смотреть How an Animator Became the Cinematographer of Paatal Lok & OTT Hit Shows | Scorpion Speaks

From lighting animated characters to crafting the intense, gritty frames of Paatal Lok – this is the wild journey of cinematographer Arun Kumar Pandey.

In this episode of Movie Buff on Scorpion Speaks, host Samit Shetty sits down with Arun to unpack how a shy animation lighting artist became the visual voice behind some of India’s most talked‑about films and OTT shows.
Who is Arun Kumar Pandey?
Arun Kumar Pandey is an Indian cinematographer known for:
– Paatal Lok
– Madaari
– Mom
– Hero
and OTT shows like:
– Perfect Family (2025)
– Kathmandu Connection (2021–2022)
– Rangbaaz (2022)
– London Files (2022)
– Tabbar (2021)
– That Man in the Picture (2018)
– 11 Minutes (2012)
– Thutse Kyuma (2012)

Before all of this, he was a lighting artist in the animation world, working on Hollywood projects and learning how light can completely change a story.
In this conversation, you’ll see:
– How he moved from animation & VFX lighting to live‑action cinematography
– The real struggles behind “breaking in” to films and OTT
– How Paatal Lok’s visual tone was built
– What a cinematographer actually does on set (for non‑technical viewers)
– Honest advice for young creators who want to enter AVGC or filmmaking
Whether you’re a filmmaker, VFX/animation artist, or just a movie lover who obsesses over good visuals – this episode will change how you look at your next series.
Watch Arun Kumar Pandey on IMDb:
Arun Kumar Pandey – IMDb

About Scorpion Speaks:
Scorpion Speaks is a cinematic podcast dedicated to the AVGC world – from VFX artists and animators to cinematographers and filmmakers – bringing you the unseen stories of the people who make your favorite visuals come alive.

3. Detailed Timestamps
00:00 – Cold open: Why Arun Kumar Pandey’s story matters
01:05 – Intro: Movie Buff & Scorpion Speaks – today’s guest revealed
02:50 – Growing up with images: Early life and first spark of cinema
05:30 – Entry into animation: How Arun became a lighting artist
08:15 – What a lighting artist really does on animated films
11:40 – Hollywood animation projects & lessons from overseas pipelines
15:00 – The moment he decided to leave animation for cinematography
18:25 – First struggles: Rejections, money issues & self‑doubt
22:00 – Landing initial projects and learning to run a live‑action set
25:30 – Breaking into OTT: Pre‑Paatal Lok journey
29:00 – Building the look of Paatal Lok: References, tone and texture
33:15 – Shooting intense scenes: Handling performances and pressure
37:20 – Inside Mom & Madaari: Visual choices most people miss
41:00 – Working on Rangbaaz, London Files & Tabbar for OTT
44:30 – Collaboration with directors & showrunners – who decides the look?
47:50 – Tech vs storytelling: What actually matters to cinematographers
51:10 – Advice to young AVGC artists who want to move into cinematography
54:00 – What audiences don’t see: The hardest day of his career
56:30 – Closing thoughts: Message to movie buffs & new creators


#PaatalLok #ArunKumarPandey #Cinematography #IndianWebSeries #FilmmakingPodcast #ScorpionSpeaks