Television

Slum Golf-Through the Eyes of Cooke: Vijay Mishra's Cinematic Vision

Slum Golf is a story of ambition and hope triumphing over adversity and the circumstances one is born into.

“They call it the "Cooke Look," but I have come to see it more as the "Cooke Truth." In a time when digital clarity can sometimes feel sterile, Cooke brings back life: soft edges, gentle flares, controlled aberrations that actually add character. And that is what storytelling needs: character.”Vijay Mishra , Director of photography

Lens information:
Lens series: Anamorphic/i FF 1.8x
Focal Length: 32mm, 40mm,50mm,75mm,100mm,135mm
Camera: Arri Alexa Super 35
Format: Digital

Production information:
Directors of Photography: Vijay Mishra
DOP website: lightboyfilms.com
DOP Instagram: Dopvijay
DOP Vimeo: vijaydop
Dop Twitter: lightboyfilms
Dop LinkedIn: vijay-mishra-83226529

Director: Sujay Sunil Dahake
Colorist: Zaheer Shaikh

Writer: Dr. Vinay Chhawal
Producer: Temple Bells Films
Co-producer: Kissa Shuru Productions

DOP’s Perspective:

“Through the Eyes of Cooke”

By a cinematographer who believes a lens captures real emotions.

As a cinematographer, I have always believed that a lens is more than just glass. It is a translator of light, emotion, and intention. Among all the optics I have worked with, one name continues to echo through every frame I love the most: Cooke.

Cooke lenses do not just render an image; they render a feeling. There is something about that subtle falloff, the warm, almost nostalgic glow around highlights, and the way skin tones breathe naturally without forcing beauty. It is not sharp for the sake of sharpness; it is soulful. It is human.

They call it the “Cooke Look,” but I have come to see it more as the “Cooke Truth.” In a time when digital clarity can sometimes feel sterile, Cooke brings back life: soft edges, gentle flares, controlled aberrations that actually add character. And that is what storytelling needs: character.

I have used Cooke S7i, Cooke S8i, Cooke S4/i, Panchros, and even the Anamorphics while shooting web series, films, TVCs, promos—and in every format, there is a consistency in soul. Whether I am capturing a quiet close-up or a sweeping wide angle, the lens helps me shape light into something emotional. There is a cinematic softness, but also a tactile presence. It makes every frame feel like it belongs to a memory that has not happened yet. And as a cinematographer, that is the dream: tools that disappear and let emotion take over.

For me, shooting with Cooke is like writing poetry with light. You do not need to shout. You do not need to show off. You just feel, and the lens does the rest.

To those who know the craft, the Cooke flare is a signature—not flashy, not chaotic, but controlled and expressive. It bends light like a musician bends a note: intentionally, meaningfully.