Rohan Shrestha literally grew up in the lap of celebrities, as his father, Rakesh Shrestha, was one of their favourite photographers. Rohan has taken his father’s legacy further by not only emerging as the go-to photographer when it comes to Indian celebs but also international luminaries. He’s shot the likes of Leo Messi, Kevin Hart, Jason Momoa, Sofia Vergara, and Manchester City FC as well. He’s known for his black-and-white series, which has become something of a trademark of his. Presenting excerpts from an engaging interview with the talented photographer…
Your photography style seems real and personal..
I began this White T-shirt series thing many years ago because I wanted to shoot headshots of Abhay Deol and he wanted to work in LA and New York. I did not know what headshots were, so I just googled them. And then I saw Hollywood actors and their head shots – just a plain and simple white T-shirt. And then there’s no hair and makeup. It’s just a simple picture. So then I started doing this on every shoot. It’s like a nice warm up shot. I don’t direct them during this. I just tell them to be themselves.
I was just doing it for fun, until somebody came up to me and told me, “Oh, you know, this series that you’re doing this black and white stuff and all. It’s so nice, you should keep doing it.” And I was like, “Yeah, actually, why not?” That man was your editor, Jitesh Pillaai. I shot my first cover with Filmfare in 2010. I shot Ranbir Kapoor right after Wake Up Sid! It changed my entire career. The cover put me on the map and my career took off from there. It has gotten me where I am now.
So why black and white specifically?
Black and white photos are timeless. I want to have a fairly long career in this business. As long as I am relevant, I will keep shooting this series. What started happening is that over a period of time I’m shooting an actor in the series at 21, 26, and then at 31 and 36. There’s an age progression through my series as well. The opportunity to have photographs of Aamir Khan in his Mangal Pandey, look—I was shooting him for some other advertisement and he agreed to do my series.
How was your experience shooting with Messi?
Messi is my ideal. Messi is my God. My love for football is above my love of photography and I’ve never actually said that in public. Messi, for me, was a dream come true. But I never made any plans for it. It was just a fantasy. There’s a company out of the UAE that I have been working with regularly. They called me and they were like, “Would you be interested in shooting Messi?” And I was like, “So, what do you need? A kidney? I have no problem.” They laughed and said I was going to be paid for it. When I went there to shoot, I was so nervous. Once he came on set, it was so easy because then it was the photographer in me that took over. He posed for the series as well. He is the greatest athlete of all time, and I am his biggest fan. So for me, as a human being and as a photographer, shooting him completes a journey.
You recently also shot with Manchester City and it was a very high-stakes campaign; it couldn’t have been released if they hadn’t won the treble…
Sometimes these things just work themselves out. I shot Messi before the World Cup. And I was convinced that he was going to win it. It’s the same thing for Manchester City. They had two more finals left to play, and I’m this guy from Bandra telling these players that you have to hold up three fingers and they’re asking me. “Why?” I’m like, “In case you win the treble.” Players are always afraid of jinxing things. I had to convince them a lot before they agreed. I was praying they won because otherwise, my campaign and all those images would just never work out.
How was it like working with Kevin Hart?Kevin Hart was the easiest for me in terms of communication because I am a sports freak and so is he. He supports the team from Philadelphia and I used to live in New York, so I support the New York Giants. I happened to tell him I’m a Giants fan. We started talking about sports; it’s such an easy way to just break the ice. I knew his playlist; I did a little bit of research before my shoots. Overall, he was quite chilled. He just turned up on a private jet, did the shoot and bounced out in 15 minutes. It’s insane, right? These guys are living in a different world.
What are your upcoming international projects?
I have shot Jason Momoa and Sofia Vergara. I haven’t released the pictures yet, but I will.
How was it shooting with them?
Jason is extremely intimidating to look at. It’s like the guy could eat me for breakfast. He’s so huge, I had to shoot wider to get him in the frame. There were no plastic bottles allowed on the shoot. He’s so environmentally conscious. The food that we were all given was in disposable, reusable and recyclable boxes. And that was his mandate. He was playing around with the crew, high-fiving everybody and just making sure everyone was happy.
You’ve gained much recognition for your work internationally. So what do you believe sets your photography apart?
Honestly, I don’t think there’s a lot that sets my photography apart because I don’t do complicated work. I try to look for the simplest kind of imagery most of the time. If you see my work, it’s more portraiture. It’s a lot of black and white, and there’s not a lot of paraphernalia. When I’m not doing photography, I’m scuba diving somewhere in the world. So it’s about discovering myself and discovering new avenues for myself. That there’s no end to stopping learning.
You’re also into nature photography.
It is my outlet. In our industry, sometimes we get so caught up. There’s so much happening all the time. There’s so much noise.
When do you get the time to disconnect?
Travel has always been my inspiration. I go out there, and I’m disconnected from this version of myself and I’m finding the other version of myself the person who just loves taking photographs.
How do you think your journey has affected the photography community in our country?
The younger generation is supremely talented. I look at their work, and I’m think, “I wish I could work like that.” Getting a work visa has always been an issue for us. But the world is looking at India differently today. Indian models are headlining campaigns all over. Indian actors are headlining brands internationally. Alia Bhatt is the face of Gucci. Deepika Padukone is the face of Cartier. Ranbir Kapoor is the face of Tiffany. So why shouldn’t we take advantage of that? And put ourselves on an international map.
You work across different cultures; how do you ensure that your photography resonates with both Indian and international audiences?
There isn’t that much of a difference anymore. Sure, in terms of outfits, there would be a difference, like a Valentino gown versus a Sabyasachi lehenga. But at the end of the day, like I said, our visuals are stunning. You’ve got guys coming here to shoot in Rajasthan, as they love that sort of landscape. We’ve got everything in this country way better than most places in the world.
Bollywood vs. Hollywood shoots: what are the differences, and what do you prefer?
For my shoots abroad, the budgets are huge. You get a day to set up lighting. So you are so prepared by the time a Messi or a Kevin Hart comes on the set. There is a step-by-step procedure for every single shot. Now, obviously, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for us to play around a lot, but otherwise, it’s extremely precise. It saves a lot of time. Over there, they’re working in dollars, so the costs are way higher. Over here,
I feel like we allow a lot more movement. For instance, if I’m shooting with Ranveer Singh, even if it’s a brand shoot, he’ll have his own input. He’ll go beyond the brief. So as much as I love international work, there are limitations in terms of how precise it is.
What would be your dream celebrity or public figure to work with?
Mr Bachchan. I have worked with him once, but it was such a long time ago and I really want to put him in my series. From an athlete’s perspective, I would love to shoot Michael Jordan.
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