Peers, curators, gallerists reveal what made Indian photographer Raghu Rai's perspective unique

Raghu Rai and Ebrahim Alkazi (right) during an art showcase by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, 2008. Pic Courtesy/Rahaab Allana

Never intruded on a scene

The first time [meeting him] that comes to mind is when he was exhibiting in our gallery in Delhi, Art Heritage, in 2002-3. It was an exhibition of his works during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Of course, he knew Ebrahim Alkazi from much before, from the time he [Alkazi] set up the gallery.

Everyone responds to the fact that somehow, he was able to make each one of his frames extremely inclusive of its context. There was a kind of intimacy between him and his subject, even though his frames were broad and panoramic.

Rahaab Allana

The one that really struck me was his portrait of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. I also loved his political work. Writing a piece on The Emergency for a show in London before last year; I asked for an image of Indira Gandhi, subsequent to her losing the election in 1977. It is quite a significant image, showing her tired, and with her eyes peeled away. People responded to his images because he had a way of entering and exiting the scene. You never felt that you were intruding on the scene.

Rahaab Allana, curator, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts

Percolated into the subconscious

Pics Courtesy/Rohit Chawla

I learned of him through the pages of news magazines like Sunday and India Today as a teenager. One particular image that left an impact on me was his tight close up of Mohammed Ali with the boxing head gear. The great Ali was in Delhi in the 1980s for an exhibition bout at National Stadium, and Rai had probably photographed him in action in the boxing ring. That black-and-white image had a certain graphic quality that got imprinted in my head.

Rohit Chawla's portraits of Raghu Rai in his book, Portrait of an Artist

You know, what you like reflects your taste and eventually becomes your visual aesthetic. It is not surprising that some of his style percolated into mine through the subconscious though we both came from different segments of photography. I belonged to the erstwhile advertising generation and the more conceptual idiom, while he came from pure reportage and photojournalism. But even when I took over as a creative director at India Today in 2014, there was always his shadow lurking over my shoulder because following the hallowed footsteps of Raghu Rai was no easy order.

Rohit Chawla

Our last meeting was in New Delhi in February 2026, when he was being wheeled in to be presented with a lifetime achievement award. I remember him, black mask in place like a graphic full stop, looking out to me, nodding his head and that small elusive wave. It was a small acknowledgement that as peers that we seek from our masters and one that will be eternally stamped in my photographic memory forever.

Rohit Chawla, photographer, author

A photographic canvas

I had met him but once, during an exhibition in Delhi. This was back in the 1980s. He was already a well-known photographer. What set him apart was his training as a photojournalist - his use of the wide lens. It always struck me how his images mirrored the effect of paintings.

Dadiba Pundole

His works captured his sense of gentle observation. For instance, his photographs during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy left a deep impact on me. They would have the same effect on me as a Bikash Bhattacharjee painting. The way it is framed; and there is so much happening inside it. The image becomes so surreal, it becomes a painting.

Dadiba Pundole, gallerist, Pundole Art Gallery