New Delhi, April 26 (IANS). Delhi Lieutenant Governor TS Sandhu on Sunday condoled the demise of renowned photographer Raghu Rai.
Lieutenant Governor TS Sandhu posted on social media platform X and wrote, “With the demise of Raghu Rai, the world of photography has lost a great personality.”
“He was an extraordinary artiste,” he said. His work reflected technical excellence as well as deep human compassion. He captured the soul of India in his photographs with great depth and sensitivity. His historic photographs will continue to inspire generations to come and remain an example of storytelling through photography.”
Sandhu said, “I express my deepest condolences to his wife Gurmeet Sangha Rai, his family and the entire photography world. Om Shanti.”
83-year-old Raghu Rai died on Sunday. He was battling cancer for the last two years. The last rites of Raghu Rai, considered a pioneer of photojournalism, were performed in the evening at the Lodhi Road cremation ground.
In the last 60 years, Raghu Rai has captured many colors of life in his camera. From leaders like former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to stalwarts of classical music, and above all, he captured the lives of the common man in his photographs.
Raghu Rai always kept a close eye on the social and political realities of his time. He was known for capturing not just faces but the souls of people.
These days, photographs of Padma Shri awardee Raghu Rai are being displayed in the exhibition ‘Raghu Rai – A Thousand Lives: Photographs from 1965-2005’ organized at KNMA. This exhibition will run till 30 April.
During this exhibition, Raghu Rai had told journalists, “When I was a photojournalist, I always used to say that why should we stay in Delhi and take pictures of only big people? It is important that we go to villages and small towns and show the stories there. Perhaps only then will the leaders pay attention to them. Remember, the common man is the real continuity of this country. Politicians and industrialists come and go, but the common man on the road always remains. That is why my focus has always been on street photography.”
Raghu Rai, a disciple of renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, was named to join Magnum Photos in 1977.
–IANS
AMT/DKP