Raghu Rai will never die because photographs outlive us. The moment will go but the photo remains.
The three photographers I owe my expertise in photography and cinematography are Raghu Rai, Mitter Bedi and KG Maheshwari. Raghu was the last to go and the one whose work impacted me the most.
As a third generation engineer, I was all set to become a practising engineer. And bang in the middle of my engineering – Bhopal happened. It was a plant I had been to. My IIT hostel mates father was the head of the plant. It was in my opinion an excellent plant. And for someone who grew up seeing a refinery – I wasn’t exactly new to chemical plants.
And then it wasn’t Bhopal – but Raghu Rais work which made me sit up. It made me think. And it made me give up pursuing a career in chemical engineering. War has far worse imagery. But then you rarely have someone of the stature of a Raghu Rai photographing them.
“India is my canvas, but people are my story.”
The passing of Raghu Rai marks the end of an era in Indian visual storytelling.
What made Raghu Rai extraordinary was not just technical brilliance, but his ability to see what others ignored. And that is why art is different from just taking a photo shot. It is about the moment, not the scenery. We all see the world around us, but can we capture it and present it like Raghu Rai did.
He photographed India not as spectacle, but as lived reality — crowded trains, exhausted workers, children at play, spiritual rituals, political power, grief, dignity and survival.
His lens documented some of India’s defining moments:
* the Bangladesh refugee crisis,
* the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster,
* the streets and soul of Old Delhi,
* and the contradictions of modern India.
What stands out is his philosophy of observation. He didn’t chase perfection or staged imagery. He waited for truth. A fleeting expression, a gesture, light falling on an ordinary scene — he believed these moments revealed the deeper character of a nation.
In an age driven by speed, algorithms and endless content, Raghu Rai’s work is a reminder that depth still matters. Real observation still matters. Humanity still matters.
Great photographers do more than capture images. They preserve memory, conscience and history.
RIP to one of India’s greatest visual historians.
It was my honour and privilege to have known you as a friend and benefited from your teachings. You may be no more but your coffee table books and photos will remain forever.
#479
2026