Kamal Ghorui
India lost a colossus in the realm of photography in the passing away of 83 year old Raghu Rai on 26th April 2026.A self taught photographer whose first image was that of a donkey rose to the helm of portraiture and high halls of fame with his brilliance of capturing a range of subjects that defined humanity as well as India’s core of cultural ethos and essence of its cities.
Rai was awarded India’s highest civilian award – the Padmashree in 1971 and was nominated to join Magnum Photos in 1977 by none other than Henri Cartier-Bresson himself. Rai served three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and had an intrinsic relationship with Indians amongst all walks of life and loved the nature of simplicity in the street scenes that presented his litany of evocative subjects.
Faces of multiple milieus
“ A collection should be original, full of individuality, have strength and delicacy combined,’ stated Raghu emphatically in most interviews. His work transcended time. From lone portraits of Prime minister Indira Gandhi to Mother Teresa to Indian Musicians to an epic series of Indian Portraits he presented a palpable past and the truth that our memories can never completely recover what’s lost to time.
Varanasi’s vignettes
Amongst the many cities he froze in time his favourite was Varanasi. “ The music and the drum beats always add another colour, “he said, “ I have always been fascinated by how the simplest of people always seem to step into their own time warp. For me over the years coming back to Varanasi is always about an unending journey. Each ritual in Varanasi is almost a festival of samridhi and samigri. The pathways with their narrowest lanes and steps leading to top storeys as steep as a ladder, each staircase has its own story.”
Singular portraits and exhibitions
Raghu’s portraits were a blend of historicity, sentiment and human expression. His famed Varanasi suite had the image of a woman who looked straight into his camera, she was more than a poverty stricken beggar.Raghu said: “ In the heat of the late afternoon of September, there was a tiny temple that was deserted and when she appeared it was a lifetime of memory for me. Darshan is everything.”
Then there was that of Mother Teresa and her praying hands with the folds of her face framing the vision of prayer and supplication.If one had to go by his work of masters of melody it was his exhibition of musicians at Lalit Kala Akademi that was a milestone to cherish. “India’s Great Masters: A Photographic Journey into the Heart of Classical Music had frames that were unforgettable. Ustad Allah Rakha and his son Zakir at the tablas were delights in the dulcet notes of rhythmic resonance.
His images of Kishori Amaonkar were yet another realm of heavenly riyaaz during her concerts at the Kamani auditorium in Delhi as well as other haunts.Raghu said: ” I quenched my thirst for music by freezing the legendary music masters of India, with their mood and energy intact.”
Love for Calcutta
Love for Calcutta was something that spanned 50 years and more.In 2019 his solo at the Harrington Arts Gallery for Kolkata International Photo Festival was a paraphrasing of his understanding of life in the lanes and the emotive essence of Puja in the bylanes.Other than Calcutta were his images of Dalai Lama and others.Portraits for Raghu were more about truth to testimony rather than fashion.Humans as subjects for Raghu were about the epoch of a paradox. They were entities who lived within the web of their own lives and created the aura of their own tales either as tragediennes or as icons who watched the world go by.
French award
Over 55 years as a photographer, this colossus of photography spoke the same language. His greatest joy was winning the French award. He became laureate of the first edition of the Académie des beaux-arts Photography Award – William Klein in 2019 in Paris.
“I got a call from Paris and they told me that I had been shortlisted,” said Raghu. “16 photographers from all over the world were chosen by the jury who themselves were distinguished in their own right. I wanted to know who were among the 16 and I realised there were world famous names. James Mathew, Bruce Davidson, Eliot Erwitt, and many more.
In a few hours, I got a call stating that I had won it. I felt everyone was so renowned , how did they give it to me. They told me I was the one who had covered many subjects, many directions and that is why it was awarded to me. I just work here in India, I don’t go anywhere, my travel is related to my work and that is all I have done over 50 years.”
Art of tomorrow
My first meeting with Raghu was in 1990. He said : “ Photography for me is about darshan, it is the art of tomorrow. It lives in its qualities of uniqueness.” Historical data states that other than being a Magnum ambassador, Raghu Rai was an early proponent of the medium’s technological transformations. Time he said was a multilayered experience that was horizontal with no beginning and no end.
According to him , photographers must be careful about overloading of expression because it slows down momentum in quality. He said: “ A moment in space is just not enough and a panoramic experience creates the possibility of capturing simultaneity of moments . India for me is the pulse of its streets and its people and I capture it in so many planes. Itihaas sirf ek panna hai zindagi ka. ( History is just a page from life ). ”
Photography for him was the mirror of memory that pinned the pages of the past. RIP legend of the lens.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
END OF ARTICLE
