Mr. Gautam Rajadhyaksha’s Careerscape and Contribution Compiled by Mangesh Chavarkar Gautam Rajadhyaksha is India’s best-known portrait photographer whose definitive portraits have acquired an iconic standard both in India and abroad. ADVERTISING: Mumbai born and educated, Gautam taught Chemistry at his Alma Mater, the St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, between 1971 and 1973. After Winning a Gold Medal at the College of Advertising and Public Relations, Gautam joined the famous advertising agency Lintas India Limited where he became, primarily, the Head of the Photo Services Department and then later as the Creative Director. During his tenure in Lintas, he participated in the creation and production of such landmark advertising campaigns such as: 1. Liril 2. Fair ‘n Lovely 3. Cherry Blossom 4. Rexona 5. Rin 6. Surf-the ‘Lalitaji’ Campaign Apart from the commercial products that he helped launch, he was a part of Mr. Alyque Padamsee’s Public Awareness campaigns for: 1. Save The Tiger (for the World Wild Life) 1973 2. The ‘Sukhdi’ Food Programme (for the draught relief in 1973-74). From 1985-87, Gautam was solely responsible for the conceptualizing, creation and production of advertising and promotional material for 14 export-oriented products for The Government of India’s Trade Development Authority. During his tenure in advertising, his contribution to the fledgling world of professional photography and modelling has been significant: 1. Grading and standardizing rates of professional photographers. 2. Procedures set to pay photographers within 60 days of shooting. 3. The system of payment of 50% advance on out-of station assignments 4. Acknowledgement of a photographer’s copyright. 5. Formalising and bringing into practice, a legal contract between Advertiser, advertising agencies and free-lance models. 6. Obligatory clauses in the contract that protects the mode’s right for a Renewal fee and contract extension on expiry of contract. 1 Gautam has also been responsible for nurturing and promoting fresh talent that eventually made successful careers in modelling, the film industry or professional photography: 1. Tina Munim (Ambani) 7. Shantanu Sheorey 2. Suresh Oberoi 8. Ashok Gupta 3. Jugal Hansraj 9. Atul Kasbekar 4. Jackie Shroff 5. Juhi Chawla 6. Salman Khan JOURNALISM: Gautam began as a photojournalist in 1978-79, writing articles and shooting pictures for magazines such as Stardust, The Illustrated Weekly of India, Filmfare, Society and Celebrity. In 1985, he launched a Marathi Entertainment Fortnightly called ‘CHANDERI’. ‘Chanderi’ revolutionized the indolent world of Marathi journalism by introducing a handsomely reproduced, informative magazine, which reached the pinnacle of popularity and public awareness. Clean, non-gossipy, yet chatty and friendly, it introduced almost 2 generation of readers to the world of Indian, Marathi and world Cinema, Marathi Theatre, Television, Music and techniques of behind-the-screen activities like cinematography, sound engineering, editing, writing and direction. It is to the high esteem that the magazine carried which enabled it to get the participation of every performing artiste of the country. Many of today’s press and electronic media journalists acknowledge the influence of ‘Chanderi’ in their choice of profession. Gautam has contributed to several papers, magazines in Marathi and English over the years, and his column ‘Maanaschitre’ in Lokasatta’s literary supplement ‘Lokamudra’ Was very popular during its run for two and a half years (December 2000-August 2003). PHOTOGRAPHY: Gautam’s fame and worldwide reputation principally remains as that of a distinguished photographer. Beginning privately, during his early years in Lintas as a week-end photographer, his skills, nevertheless, were recognised early and in the ‘seventies itself he slowly built up a reputation as a distinctive portrait photographer. He was commissioned to photograph the late Urdu writer Ismat Chughtai, Shyam Benegal, M.F.Hussain and the late Mr. J.R.D. Tata, much before he had established himself as an independent photographer. His photo-journalistic experience and popularity finally induced him from retreating from the world of advertising and beginning a limelight career path as one of India’s most coveted and celebrated photographers. His subjects varied from industrialists and literary figures to sports and film stars to artists and musicians. Apart 2 from photo-journalistic work, Gautam has several Blue-chip award winning campaigns to his credit: such as ‘Surf’, ‘Lakme’,’Tips and Toes’, amongst many. To date, he holds the record of having the maximum cover shots done by a photographer in the most number of languages, national and international magazines. His photographs have helped the blossoming of the careers of many stars such as Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Ashwini Bhave. His portfolios introduced such names as Pooja Bhat, Sonali Bendre, Shilpa and Namrata Shirodkar, Kajol and Hritik Roshan to the world of Indian Cinema. Several musicians like Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and popular vocalists like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle have had Gautam photograph them for their programmes and CD Covers. As a corporate photographer, he has photographed several times, the Board members from the Houses of Tata, Reliance, Mahindra and Mahindra and Hindustan Unilever Limited. INDIAN CINEMA: Having been closely associated with the world of advertising and photo journalism, Gautam was well known in the Indian Film Industry when he was asked to create a publicity campaign for Sooraj Barjatya’s ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ in 1988. This set a new pioneering trend which dramatically changed the face of the Indian Film Publicity material by Gautam’s organized photo sessions which delved into the film’s content and designed images and visuals that reproduced better and were used internationally. Amongst the films for which Gautam contributed to, are: 1. Maine Pyaar Kiya 2. Henna 3. Rageela 4. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun? 5. Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayeng 6. Dil Hain KeyMaanta Nahin 7. Raja Hindustani 8. Mohabbatein 9. Kuch Kuch Hota Hain 10. Pyar to Hona Hi Tha 11. Dil To Pagal Hain 12. Dil Se 13. Kabhie Khushi Khabhie Gham 14. Baaghbaan In 1991 he was asked to script a film in Hindi by director Rahul Rawail. The film ‘Bekhudi’ introduced the talents of Kajol. In 1995, he co-scripted a Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit starrer ‘Anjaam’ that won both the actors several awards. 3 In 2007, Gautam wrote the story and screenplay for a Marathi Film ‘Sakhi’ which won him the MaTa Best Story Award for the year 2007. It featured Sonali Kulkarni, Ashok Saraf and Subodh Bhave. TELEVISION: Gautam conducted a 13- Episode Interview-Chat show for the Marathi Channel ‘Tara’, called ‘Chehere’. EXHIBITIONS: In 1988, at the behest of Ms. Asha Bhosle, he had his first one-man show in Pune in honour of the late maestro Sudhir Phadke. In 1989 he had a Solo Show in San Francisco and in December, in Dubai. The BBC invited Gautam for a show at their Birmingham Mega Mela in November 1998. In November 2000 he had a 650 picture Retrospective Show entitled ‘Chehere’ in Pune, which was attended by a record number of 175,000 spectators. The show was repeated in Kolhapur(February 2001), and in Panjim (May 2001), and later in the same year by popular request during the Ganpati Festival in Pune (August 2001). In April 2007, Gautam had a Portrait Show to celebrate the 75 years of Indian Cinema at Covent Garden, London. BOOKS: ‘FACES’ was India’s first Coffee Table Book on the Indian film personalities published in July 1997. In June of 2010, Gautam released a 350 page Marathi Coffee Table Book called ‘CHEHERE’ which featured pen-pictures and portraits of 70 prominent Indian personalities. OTHER ACTIVITIES: Being a scholar in Opera and Western Classical Music, Gautam has had several lecture demonstrations at the USIS, NCPA and at the Kala Ghoda Festival on the subject of opera and opera singers. Gautam annually visits the Symbiosis Campus and other Mass Communication Colleges to speak to the students on advertising, photography and cinema. 4 In April 2011, Gautam has been honoured with the post of Chair Professor for Photography at the Symbiosis University, Pune. AWARDS: 1. 1988: Advertising Club Award: ‘Tips n Toes’. Best Campaign of the Year 2. 1989: Advertising Club Award: Best Hoarding of the Year. Surf Detergent 3. 2001: The Kingfisher Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award 4. 2003: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Club of India 5. 2003: Kusumagraj Pratishtaan ‘Goda’ Puraskaar for contribution in photography 6. 2006: ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ MaTa Award: The Times of India Group July 2011 5 .