Dani Sanchez-Lopez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1981 (age 42–43) [1] |
| Alma mater | Dodge College of Film and Media Arts (MFA) University of Sevilla (Licenciatura, PhD) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
| Notable work | Mahanati (2018) |
| Website | danisalo |
Daniel Sanchez-Lopez (born 1981), better known as Dani SaLo, is a Spanish cinematographer, director and actor based in Los Angeles.
Dani was seven when he decided to pursue a career in cinema. [3] He was initially drawn to acting, but later shifted his focus to writing, directing and editing after realizing that actors performed lines written by others. [3] Eventually, he discovered a love for cinematography during his studies at Chapman University in California. [3]
He graduated from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts with an MFA in Film Production in 2009. [4] After completing his studies, Dani went to work in Asia due to limited work opportunities in Los Angeles. [4] There, he collaborated with fellow alumni, Ammar Rasool and Mian Adnan Ahmad. [4] Dani directed the music video Aik Tha Badshah for the Pakistani rock group Noori. The video was well-received and was nominated for Best Music Video at the Hum Awards in 2015. [4] [5]
Dani has worked San ‘75, Tamanchey , Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! and Dil Dhadakne Do . [6] His career in Indian cinema took a major turn in April 2017, when director Nag Ashwin invited him to join the team of Mahanati , a biopic of the iconic South Indian actress Savitri. His approach to capture the golden era of Telugu and Tamil cinema was influenced by cinematographer Marcus Bartley's work on Mayabazar and others. [6] One of the aspects of his work on Mahanati was the decision to shoot parts of the film on super 16mm film stock to give it a 1980s appearance. [6] Dani's work on Mahanati was highly praised, [7] [8] [9] including commendation from filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. [6]
After Mahanati, Dani returned to Los Angeles to work on The MisEducation of Bindu . [4] Following his collaboration with Nag Ashwin on Mahanati, Dani was initially brought on board for Ashwin's next project, Kalki 2898 AD . [10] [11] However, Dani was eventually replaced by Djordje Stojiljkovic. [12] Dani's work on Virata Parvam (2022) is influenced by filmmakers and photographers, drawing inspiration from Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Mirror, Stalker and the works of Janusz Kaminski and Emmanuel Lubezki. [13] He has a particular disdain for shooting in studio environments, preferring the challenges of real locations, where he adapts to natural lighting conditions and the physical constraints of the environment. [13] He also conducts workshops and masterclasses at notable institutions, including the Film and Television Institute of India and Chapman University. [3]
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Tamanchey | Hindi | [14] |
| 2017 | San' 75 Pachattar | Hindi | Unreleased film [6] |
| 2018 | Ishqeria | Hindi | [15] |
| 2018 | Mahanati | Telugu | [16] |
| 2019 | The MisEducation of Bindu | English | [17] |
| 2022 | Virata Parvam | Telugu | [13] |
| 2022 | @Buddhistandqueer: Del sari a la túnica | Spanish | Documentary, Best short film at the 2022 LGCM Awards [18] |
| 2024 | Operación Barrio Inglés | Spanish | [19] |
| Year | Title | Film/Album | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Aik Tha Badshah | Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh | Hindi | As co-director and cinematographer [4] [5] |
| Calcutta Kiss Song | Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! | Hindi | As director and cinematographer [16] [20] |
Nissankara Savitri was an Indian actress and filmmaker who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil films. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was popularly known by the epithets Mahanati in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil. Savitri was among the highest-paid and most sought-after actresses in South Indian cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.
The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress Award – Telugu is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Telugu films. The award was introduced and first given at the 50th Filmfare Awards South in 2002.
Chalasani Aswini Dutt is an Indian film producer known for his work in the Telugu cinema. He established the film production company Vyjayanthi Movies in 1974, one of the biggest production houses in the Telugu film industry. In a career spanning nearly five decades, he has produced over 40 films with a majority of them in Telugu and a few in Hindi and Tamil languages. He is known for producing big-budget films that have lavish production values.
R. Rathnavelu is an Indian cinematographer who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. His work in films such as Sethu, Nandha, Vaaranam Aayiram, Enthiran, 1: Nenokkadine, Rangasthalam and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy garnered recognition. He has garnered three Filmfare Awards South, the Vijay Awards, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award, two SIIMA Awards and the Kalaimamani Award bestowed by the Tamil Nadu state government for his work.
Amal Neerad is an Indian film director, cinematographer and producer who mainly works in Malayalam cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. He was awarded the National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 2001 for his diploma film Meena Jha.
Keerthy Suresh is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She is a recipient of various accolades including one National Film Award, five SIIMA Awards and two Filmfare Awards South. Keerthy was placed in Forbes India's 30 Under 30 list of 2021.
Malvika Nair is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Telugu and Malayalam films. Nair's notable works include Black Butterfly (2013), Cuckoo (2014), Yevade Subramanyam (2015), Taxiwaala (2018), Modern Love Hyderabad (2022) and Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi (2024).
Deverakonda Vijay Sai, professionally known as Vijay Deverakonda, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Telugu films. One of the highest-paid actors of Telugu cinema, he has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2018 and has received several accolades, including a Filmfare Award, a Nandi Award, and three SIIMA Awards.
Nag Ashwin is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is the recipient of a National Film Award, a Nandi Award, and a Filmfare Award.
Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan, known mononymously as Sai Pallavi is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She has received numerous accolades, including six Filmfare Awards South and two South Indian International Movie Awards. She was featured by Forbes magazine as one of India's 30 Under 30 in 2020.
Swapna Dutt Chalasani is an Indian film producer known for her work in Telugu cinema. She is the daughter of C. Ashwini Dutt, a well-known Indian film producer and the founder of Vyjayanthi Movies.
Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam is an Indian film director, actor and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He directed the romantic comedy Pelli Choopulu (2016), which won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Screenplay – Dialogues. He later directed Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi (2018), and made his acting debut in a lead role with Meeku Maathrame Cheptha (2019).
Tripuraneni Sai Chand is an Indian actor and documentary filmmaker who works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre, and television. He is popularly known for his roles in films like Maa Bhoomi, Fidaa and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.
Mahanati is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the life of actress Savitri. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin, and produced by Priyanka Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema. The film features Keerthy Suresh as Savitri while Dulquer Salmaan plays Savitri's husband Gemini Ganesan. The film also stars Samantha Akkineni and Vijay Deverakonda, along with Rajendra Prasad, Prakash Raj, and Bhanupriya who appear in supporting roles. Naga Chaitanya and Mohan Babu, among others, play guest appearances. The plot follows Savitri's life, depicting her turbulent rise to prominence, marriage with Ganesan, and subsequent fall from grace, which is viewed from the perspective of a journalist and a photographer, played by Samantha and Deverakonda respectively.
Shalini Pandey is an Indian actress who works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. She made her acting debut in the Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017), and has since acted in the Tamil film 100% Kadhal (2019), the Telugu films Mahanati (2018) and 118 (2019), and the Hindi films Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) and Maharaj (2024).
Virata Parvam is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language period romantic action drama film written and directed by Venu Udugula, and produced by Suresh Productions and SLV Cinemas. The film stars Sai Pallavi and Rana Daggubati while Priyamani, Nandita Das, Naveen Chandra, Zarina Wahab, Easwari Rao, and Sai Chand play supporting roles. Set in Telangana region in the 1990s amidst the Naxalite movement, the film tells the story of Vennala (Pallavi), a young woman who is in pursuit of her love with Ravi Shankar (Daggubati), a Naxal leader.
Mahanati is the soundtrack album composed by Mickey J. Meyer for the 2018 Tollywood film of the same name written and directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by C. Ashwini Dutt, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka Dutt under the banners Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema. The album consists of six tracks with Sirivennela Sitaramasastri and Ramajogayya Sastry penning the lyrics. The film is based on the life of Indian actress Savitri, played by Keerthy Suresh while Dulquer Salmaan, in his Telugu debut, plays the role of Gemini Ganesan. The soundtrack album released digitally on 1 May 2018 on the Aditya Music label.
Kalki 2898 AD is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language epic science fiction film directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Shobana and Disha Patani. Inspired by Hindu scriptures, it is the first instalment in a planned Kalki Cinematic Universe. Set in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2898 AD, the film follows a select group who are on a mission to save lab subject SUM-80's unborn child, Kalki.
Kalki 2898 AD is the soundtrack album composed by Santhosh Narayanan to the 2024 Indian Telugu-language epic dystopian science fiction action film of the same name, directed by Nag Ashwin, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. The lyrics are written by Ramajogayya Sastry, Chandrabose and Krishna Kanth in Telugu, Kumaar and Siddharth-Garima in Hindi, Vivek in Tamil, Varadaraj Chikkaballapura in Kannada and Shyam Muraleedharan in Malayalam. Being Narayanan's 50th film as a composer in his career, the soundtrack album which consisted of six songs was released on 10 July 2024.