Gautan Rajadhyaksha
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Born	September 16, 1950 (1950-09-16) (age 59) Mumbai, India
Occupation	Photographer
Other names	Gautan Rajadhyaksha

Gautam Rajadhyaksha (Born 16 September 1950) is one of India's leading fashion photographers, and is based in Mumbai, India ^[1][2]

Gautam Rajadhyaksha is one of India's best known celebrity portraitist, having photographed almost all the icons of the Indian Film industry.

Contents 1 Personal life and education 2 Career 3 Filmography 3.1 Movie stills 3.2 Screenwriter 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Personal life and education

Born in Mumbai, Gautam schooled from St. Xavier's High School, Fort ^[3], and did his graduation in Chemistry at the St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, where he later also taught for two years ^[4]. He is the cousin of noted novelist Shobha De.

[edit] Career

Having completed his in diploma in advertising and public relations, he joined the photo services department of Lintas India Ltd ^[4], a leading advertising agency in 1974, and eventually becoming the head of the department. During his 15 year stint, he participated in the creation of milestone ad campaigns, while continuing his childhood passion of photography over the weekends.

His first encounter with fashion photography happened 1980, when he happen to shoot pictures of actress Shabana Azmi (a college mate), Tina Munim and Jackie Shroff, and his passion for portraiture photography was lit ^[4][5], eventually he left his advertising job in 1987, and took up commercial photography full-time, and soon started doing product campaigns, media assignments and fashion portfolios ^[4].

While he was still working for the Lintas, as a copywriter, Shobha De his cousin invited him to write for her magazine, 'Celebrity', soon after started shooting photographs for his articles, this got him attention and soon acclaim as a glamour photographer, and before long he started working for other magazines as well, including The Illustrated Weekly of India, and film magazines like Stardust, Cineblitz and Filmfare ^[6]. As a film photographer, he credited for discovering faces like Tina Munim, Salman Khan and Indian Supermodel Sheetal Mallar,

Apart from doing occasional television talk shows, he edits Marathi entertainment fortnightly, 'Chanderi' and writes a popular column, Manas Chitra, in a leading Marathi news daily.

His 1997 released coffee table book, titled, 'FACES', containing 45 film personalities beginning with Durga Khote, one of India's first ladies of the Indian screen and ending with Aishwarya Rai, renowned former Miss World and today's Bollywood's leading actress. His portraits of musicians, writers, sportstars and industrialists have also won him great critical acclaim and a permanent place in the history of post Independence Indian photography.

In 1992, he wrote his first screenplay, for the film, 'Bekhudi', which launched actress Kajol's career and his second, 'Anjaam' presented, Madhuri Dixit with a challenging role. In 2000, he held his first ever photo-exhibition in Pune showcasing, his twenty years as a photography work ^[5]. His exhibitions have been held in Pune, Goa and Kolhapur attracted huge crowds and his exhibitions in San Francisco, London, Birmingham and Dubai, have opened to appreciative crowds ^[4].

Gautam is a scholar and collector of opera recordings and has held several talk shows on the subject. Currently, he is involved with projects concerning Western and Indian Classical music.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Movie stills

• Henna (1991)
• Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! (1994)
• Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
• Ishq (1997)
• Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)
• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
• Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999)
• Hu Tu Tu (1999)
• Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)

[edit] Screenwriter

• Bekhudi (1992)
• Anjaam (1994) (story)
• Sakhi (2007) (story and screenplay) ^[7]

[edit] References

1. ^ Ten most important women stars in Indian films Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Rediff.com.
2. ^ Atul Kasbekar on Gautam Rajadhyaksha Atul Kasbekar, Times of India, 29 December 2000.
3. ^ Xavierites who have hit the Headlines St. Xavier's High School, Fort Mumbai - Official website.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Portrait of a portraitist Derek Bose - The Tribune, 15 June 2003.
5. ^ ^{a b} Gautam Rajadhyaksha Times of India, Dec 10, 2002.
6. ^ Gautam Rajadhyaksha Profile Hindustan Times.
7. ^ Filmography

[edit] External links

• Gautam Rajadhyaksha at the Internet Movie Database
• An Interview with Gautam Rajadhyaksha Indian Express.

Video link

• Aishwariya Rai at the launch of Sitarey photographic exhibition