Being Raghu Rai

HT City
Sunday, 5th October 2008
By Vishav Bharti

The legendary lensman is in city for a photography workshop organized by Chandigarh lalit kala akademi.

Raghu rai has to fight against Raghu Rai , when ever he wants to move beyond the landmarks that he has set in the last four decades. “Hawaaon ko behne do,” he says the man is not ready to accept clichéd- programmed minds, visual illiteracy, market dynamism and the demand and supply formula. Look for something you have never seen before, feel something you have never felt before, do something you have never done before, only then, he says, you will create something new. Through endless stories and anecdotes, the man takes us four decades back, when Raghu Rai was nothing but a young man living under the shadow of Yog Joy and his elder brother S Paul, who were already experimenting with photography.

“Nothing was on stake. Neither was I a photographer, nor I aimed to be one,” he smiles. And one day, borrowing a camera from his brother, he accompanied Yog Joy to his village in Punjab. Says he, “when Yog Joy was busy, I found a baby donkey and tried to click his photograph, but he ran away. I followed him and finally clicked the photograph. The photograph was published in London Times.” Thus, defying the idea of contemporary photography of kings or royal places or ‘experiment for the sake of experiment ‘ photography, a legendary photographer’s career began with clicking the photograph of a donkey.
Soon, the viewfinder of camera began showing extraordinary details from common man’s life. And through that viewfinder, Raghu Rai documented many crucial twists and turns of Indian history. But camera, for him, was just a tool to get information. It stands nowhere between his eye and his subject. That is why he says,” to be a good photographer, one must be a sensitive human being and sensitivity does not come from formulas like ‘two plus two’. It touches and goes. It comes from your instinct and your instinct is a gift of nature.”

A young photographer wants to know how does he market his works? “I don’t know the games of market, I have never marketed my works,” he answers, after listening patiently. That is why world photographers know India’s Raghu Rai and see India as ‘Raghu Rai’s India.’

Slide Lecture Show Of Raghu Rai Organized

Hindustan Times
Sunday, October 5, 2008
By Nonika Singh

“Art is not about beauty but human expression, energy and interaction.”
This was stated by lensman Raghu Rai, himself a master photographer of human emotions, moods whose slide and lecture show organized by Chandigarh lalit Kala Akdemi at Sector 10Goverenment Museum Auditorium not only encapsulated his personal journey and experience but also provided an incisive insight into what photography nay art symbolizes.”

Diwan Manna, chairperson of the academy, held that love emotion and concern ooze in Rai’s pictures.
Interestingly, his lecture was no boring sermon but laced with humor and wit. While he remarked photo history can’t be rewritten, his amazing pictures, be it of Bhopal gas tragedy, Indira Gandhi, Mother Taresa and great Indian musicians, proved that he has rephrased the lexicon of Indian photography. Rubbishing the claim that a picture must tell a story or is equal to thousand words, he stressed that great work of art is one that restores silence in oneself.

Seeking rhythm, harmony and beauty in daily life he believes that creative aspect of any medium is just that little nudge, the subtle whisper for real creativity is recreating the mystery.

A Moment To Freeze

Hindustan Times
Sunday, October 5, 2008
By Jasmine Singh

He is the prince of the intricate area. Raghu Rai undoubtedly is. And when he is in the city for a workshop ‘hazaaron Khawahishen….’ You bet it is a not to be missed event. The Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi has thrown open a two –day workshop be Raghu Rai for serious practitioners of the art of photography, starting on Saturday at the Government Museum and Art Gallery -10, Chandigarh.

As per schedule, there were two kinds of workshops. The first one had selected photographers hooked on to the works and Raghu Rai in person.

Yet another part of the event was the exclusive workshop for the media photographers. Nearly 50 photojournalists from the tricity and surrounding areas attended the workshop, and the first lesson they got was, to treat their work as their dharma. Remarks Rai, “For the dharma, you are also required to do the needful karam.” For the photojournalists, listening to him with rapt attention, he had a piece of advice, “Never get disheartened if your pictures are rejected by the editor. Concentrate on your work and try to better it with each picture. And, if it does not go for print, don’t lose hope; rather look at it as an addition to your collection.Expand your horizon and don’t limit yourself to the newspapers.”
A documentary film on Rai was also screened in the early part of the day.

According to Diwan Manna, Chairman of the Akademi, “For those of you who want to cherish the works of Raghu Rai, can take back his works, which have been complied in a book Raghu Rai’s India- Reflection in colour for Rs. 5,296. In addition to this, limited edition prints, signed by Rai are also available for Rs. 550 for the unframed and Rs. 1600 for the framed.” He adds, “For the art lovers we plan to bring in many more such events in the near future.”
Those looking for more merchandise of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, bookmarks, t-shirts and mugs make for a lasting souvenior. These workshops are free for all participants.
Raghu Rai’s presence in town comes as a morale booster for photo- journalists.

Lens Master

The Indian Express
Monday, 6th October, 2008
By Navdeep Sandhu

Raghu Rai hones the lens language of the tricity shutterbugs
“Art is not beauty, it is expression and exploration. It is meant to take you higher than from where you are at present,” says the man best known for his captures of the Bhopal has tragedy, Mother Teresa and Indira Gandhi. Raghu Rai was in town for a two day photojournalism workshop organized by Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi. The workshop was attended by around 60 amateur and professional photographers from the tricity. He interacted with media photographers and photo enthusiasts of the city also commenting on their photographs.

Rai commented that photography today is facing a lot of repetition. “Landscapes are not bad but nature will give you something beautiful any given hour. Explore the streets around you. For instance, if you are a college student go capture the energy. Good photography cannot happen sitting down at the same spot.”

Rai sees himself as a street photographer and incidentally it was not photography but music that Rai was interested in. “But after my father’s reprimand ‘Mirasi banega kya?’ it became history!” so the first shot happened with a camera borrowed from his brother. ” I chased an innocent looking donkey till it got tired. The shot was good enough to be published in London Times and the payment was enough for two months” and for those still stepping into the field Rai’s advise in “don’t always follow the mind, if you don’t enjoy the ‘ras’ of life then it’s a waste. Live fully, be passionate about what you do and keep raising the bar” so is he planning to take on the teacher’s role? “I am quite mismanaged, teaching requires discipline. Students do come to me for a month or as long as six months but after the training they lose all that they have learnt. Now I only take up students who have the fire to make a difference.” You heard him.

Looking back
In a slide show at Government Museum and Art Gallery Sector 10, people of Chandigarh were exposed to some of the finest works of renowned photographer Raghu Rai. As the photographs clicked from his early works, his interactions with the name in the country to the vast cultural diversity of India, Rai spun stories around each frame and enlightened us with his exploration through the viewfinder.

Going To Great Lens

The Tribune
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
By Manpriya Khurana

Raghu Rai needs no introduction. Nor are we giving any. But that is no excuse to not tell who he is. What would we say? An Indian photographer who won Padmashree, served on the jury thrice at the World Press Photos, etc. we skip all that and move straight to narrate the interaction with him during his workshop organized by the Chandigarh Lalit kala Akademi. A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. His are famous for speaking a million. When the man himself speaks, you bet there’s pindrop silence and everybody wants to listen.

Excerpts: Even though there’s a wide canvas of things to talk about, it’s hard to get over his work, his subjects. We begin. Anything yet unexplored, that he would like to capture?
He smiles, “to me, my country is most important. There’s yet so much in it to freeze. Even five more lives are not sufficient for me to be able to capture it completely. It is large enough to provide a range of experience and subjects.”

No wonder, despite having traveled to half the world, his works remain essentially Indian in spirit and action. And what does he have to say about technology coming into photography? Hasn’t it somewhere diluted art into a profession? He answers, “These are all tools, and it depends entirely on how you use them. Those who wish to manipulate did it earlier also and they’ll do it now also.” Couldn’t agree more. Photography is all about moments. Did he ever feel he better live the moment rather than click it? There are different ways of living. When you express through a medium it’s much more fluent. And capturing the moment, for me, is one way of living and eternalizing it. There’s nothing further to ask, even though we want to. But he still has a lot to share. Narrating a childhood anecdote, he says, “My mom used to often say “je aap na mariye te swarg na jaiye’ I wouldn’t understand it exactly but felt it was something very nice.” And that’s his take on work. One needs to give hundred percent, dedicate oneself totally. And no he doesn’t quite believe geniuses are born. He says, “It’s a couplet everyone’s heard. If at all, geniuses have to be born they are born out of their guts.”

Then, the perennial question. Given a chance, what should one do? Capture or save? He responds, drawing a clear line, “it’s become a common question nowadays. One needs to think, on the spur of the moment. Can you really save a life? Suppose there’s a Bhopal Gas Tragedy when there’s already everyone at work, then you are a photographer. In such situations, don’t try to become a photographer; otherwise you’ll be neither of them perfectly.”
And no, it’s not over for him. When asked about his dream photograph, he clearly answers, “yet to happen.” We’re sure it’s not over for us also. But for the time being, we don’t want to acknowledge time. Want to talk more. Listen more, want to continue discussing more. That’s just one of our hazzaaron khwahishen…………

When Photos Do The Talking

Times of India
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
By Seema Sharma

You sense an overwhelming love for his medium, photography, which comes through in his works on nature, people and life in general. Ace photographer Raghu Rai’s quest for excellence made him break set norms and set new standards.
Rai was here for a two- day workshop on photo journalism organized by Diwan Manna, chairperson of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi.
His true persona came to the fore, as he showcased his select pictures through a slide show for art aficionados, explaining his work as he went along. “I am here to shake photographers out of their ennui. People, who are alive in the real sense, don’t live for mere survival. I have myself argued with editors for my work at the very start of my career, “said the Padamshree, who has worked with many reputed national publications as a photo journalist. His conviction for his work obviously comes from his mastery over his art.

Rai had the audience spellbound, as he spoke passionately about his work, sharing little anecdotes about the pictures he took, his experiences with maestros and salient features of the photos. There was much to impress the audience – Mallikarjun Mansoor in a trance, an engrossed Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, and a calm Kishori Amonkar.

Giving tips to photographers, he said, “Make yourself available to nature, it can work wonders for you. Don’t act through a programmed mind. When you get into the skin of a subject, express yourself through a medium, using the rhythm in your body. And the experience would be fulfilling, enjoyable one,”
Fom his first shot of a young donkey which was published in the London Times, Rai has come a long way. Talking about his journey, he said,” as I progressed, I realized there was much to discover and my vision expanded with the passage of time.
“The more you open up and demand of yourself, the more you will explore and grow,” he made a point.
“Now I want to capture my country’s energy in one click. Its bliss for a photographer to be born in India, as there is so much to explore. It won’t finish even in five life times,” the patriot in him speaks out.
While replying to a query if a photographer should work for the victims in times of tragedy rather than clicking photos, Rai, who has taken some telling pictures about the Bhopal gas tragedy said, “A photographer is not social worker. His duty is to capture the essence of a scene with full honesty to share it with millions of people. Otherwise he’ll be nowhere-neither a photographer nor a social worker.”

And Rai prefers black and white photos over colour ones. “In comparison to the noise and chaos of colours, which does not allow much scope to gell with the mood and sense of a picture, the silence of black and white photos conveys the message quite easily.”
Despite capturing myriad subjects, Rai has deliberately kept away from fashion photography. “I don’t like the ‘branded mediocrity of so called high class people. They are unaware of the true happiness which comes from putting on handmade clothes, ‘he said.
When photo do the
There is nothing like a ‘born genius’ “Nobody is born with the stamp of genius. One has to be totally committed to one’s art. Money and fame will follow. If you keep aside the art of a genius, he will look like any other ordinary person. You can be genius at your work. If decide to be so. The gut to explore more every moment is the crux of life,” he summed up.

The Man Behind The Camera

The Indian Express
Tuesday, 7th October, 2008
By Jaskiran Kapoor

In Raghu rai’s works, creativity is all about capturing the mystery of things, and photography, a yogic exercise that centres on energy.

Must a picture tell a story….must it speak a thousand words? For all those who live by clichés, conditioned to follow programmed lives, a picture reduces to a mad man’s abstract piece of art lest it fails to evoke an essay of words. On the other hand, clichés are of no consequence In Padamshree Raghu Rai’s world. “A thousand words can be a lot of noise “says the famed photographer during an interaction at the Government Museum and art Gallery courtesy the Lalit Kala Akademi.

“A guru restores the silence in you. A great piece of art does the same, and in its silence, lie answers. The work fulfills you, there are no more questions to be asked.” The silence reflects as the computer throws a slideshow of his photographs on the wall, filling up the white space. ” Black and white photographs always silence the noise of colour while colour has to blend well to say something,” feels Rai, humoring how he has come to ‘uproot’ us. “Settlement is boring, repetitive existence where we tend to lose a sense of exploration,” something which Rai has never let go, his appetite for more. In his interacton, Rai unconsciously perhaps, opened windows to his life.

Artists, poet, philosopher, Rai reflected many facets to him, the greatest being his humility, his sense of humour, his eagerness to live a million lives in one, a childlike enthusiasm to discover new forms and concepts, to capture the energies and wrap himself in them….”each time I put the camera on my eye and look, my energies get concentrated and I start looking closely at the world. Before I know, it transforms into a yogic exercise for me.” For Raghu Rai, art is not about beauty, “It’s first about capturing human expression, energy, intensity, the magic of it, all, and then beauty follows. But first, you make a connection.” What were the prints of a programmed mind in his earlier works have now transitioned into magical moments. “Touch and go, that’s what creativity is, a soft whisper. I have come to realize that when you make yourself available wholly, then nature helps you get what you want,” Rai clicks on the pictures which were ‘godsend magical gifts.’ Mother Teresa in deep prayer, Indira Gandhi in deep thought, musicians in a rapture, pundits in awe at Akshardham, a baby’s burial post Bhopal gas tragedy, Calcutta’s blue docks, purani Dilli, old bazaars of India.

He doesn’t believe in ‘nostalgic nonsense’ for he believes he is still interacting with life, living in the present. His idea of information is again nonsensical. “It’s all Bollywood kachra and same dirty politics catering to urban India.” Perhaps this is the reason Rai never took up fashion photography, “branded middle class mediocrity” he calls it. Perhaps this is also the reason he’s been documenting a lot of works including his own in the form of books, “for history can be written and rewritten but you can never re-write photo history.” These days Rai’s just finished editing a book on Delhi and is already on to his next, on Indian classical musicians. And yes, wherever his travels take him, he brings home that part of the world with him, “and plant it in my home.”
When it comes to capturing the world, India is more than enough says Rai. “The experience of India is multilayered and it’s never one moment in space.” Like and electric current, the images flow through him, capturing the essence to the last detail.