If Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were still alive, the paparazzi would certainly have hounded them like any other celebrity

Freedom through the lens

If Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were still alive, the paparazzi would certainly have hounded them like any other celebrity. But, though the media wasn't as active in those days, shutterbug Kulwant Roy did a great job even then. The ongoing exhibition of pre-independent photographer Kulwant Roy curated by photographer Aditya Arya (top left) at The Piramal Gallery at NCPA gives you a peek into the lives of these heavyweight freedom fighters. CS speaks to Aditya to know more about his guru Kulwant Roy's work:

Picture perfect

Some of his iconic images will not be forgotten in a hurry, like the picture of Khan Abdul Gaffar and Gandhi together and the last few images of Jackie Kennedy. These pictures are a treasure trove because they've been captured from a camera that never lied; it was a truth machine. Today you can manipulate pictures. Kulwant Roy's pictures tell a story, though it is very unfortunate that he lost thousands of priceless images.

Lost in transition

In 1958, he set out on a world tour. For the next three years, he shot in over 30 countries and regularly mailed the negatives to his Indian office. On returning, he discovered that those negatives had been stolen. That shattered himu00a0-- to think that his effort of travelling the world and following Gandhi, came to nothing. He'd lost his manuscript and he was broken. He hardly shot after that.

Shooting star

I have very fond memories of Kulwant Roy. He was a close family friend. He learnt photography from my mom's uncle in Lahore. I worked under him after finishing college. I spent all of that summer in his dark room and got paid Rs 20 a day. By the end of the month, I had amassed Rs 600 and it felt like a huge fortuneu00a0-- maybe what Rs 6 lakh would feel today! I remember him as someone who led a very adventurous life.

He was a simple man with very few needs. He never had a TV or a radioset in his apartment, and he must have owned five shirts.I don't remember him really splurgingu00a0-- he would cook his own meal and head to the Press Club for a drink every once in a while. He never got married, though he had a love interest in Japan. I found her pictures and address and tried tracing her, but couldn't. But I'm proud to have seen his work.