Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Gautam Rajadhyaksha (16 September 1950 – 13 September 2011) was one of India's leading fashion photographers, and was based in Mumbai, India. He was one of India's best known celebrity portraitists, having photographed almost all the icons of the Indian film industry.

Personal life and education Born in Mumbai, Rajadhyaksha was educated at St. Xavier's High School, Fort, and obtained his degree in chemistry at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, where he later also taught for two years. He is a cousin of noted novelist Shobha De.

Career Having completed a diploma in advertising and public relations, Rajadhyaksha joined the photo services department of the advertising agency Lintas India Ltd (now Lowe Lintas), 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.

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

His 1997 released coffee table book, titled Faces, contained profiles of 45 film personalities beginning with Durga Khote, one of India's first ladies of the Indian screen and ending with Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World and today Bollywood's leading actress. 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 which showcased, twenty years of his photography work.

Filmography

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).

Screenwriter Bekhudi (1992); Anjaam (1994) (story); Sakhi (2007) (story and screenplay).