‘Best photographs tend to happen when people stop auditioning for them’: Photographer Atul Kasbekar

In an era dominated by filters and carefully crafted AI-generated images, the 61-year-old believes authenticity lies in embracing imperfections rather than erasing them.

In a recent interview with indianexpress.com, Kasbekar bared his heart out about life, career, regret, and legacy.

Excerpts:

Q: What’s keeping you busy at the moment?

Atul Kasbekar: Trying not to keel over in what feels like the hottest summer in recorded history takes up a disproportionate amount of my time. Other than that, the Honest: Portraits of Character exhibition, making movies, and the occasional brand shoot.

Q: How do you look back at your journey?

Kasbekar: I’ve been lucky to have had several careers disguised as one. Photography, advertising, cinema, and producing. The memorable moments are rarely the glamorous ones, though. They’re usually the unexpected pictures, chance meetings, and moments where you realise something you created actually stayed with people.

Q: Tell us all about your latest work, HONEST: Portraits of Character.

Kasbekar: The idea really took shape during my years as a producer. Sitting behind a monitor, watching actors work, you realise just how absurdly talented they are and how much gravitas they bring to a film. HONEST was my attempt to strip away performance and photograph the person carrying the character.

This exhibition has been one of the most rewarding visual journeys I’ve undertaken. In many ways, it is a full circle. I started photography because I loved making portraits. Nobody paid me to take those pictures back then, and nobody paid me to make these either.

Jim Sarbh for Honest (Photo: PR handout)

At the risk of sounding deeper than I actually am, I hope people leave with greater insight into these wonderful artistes. We asked each subject for a line, a life lesson, or a quote that matters to them. Read enough of them, and I think you start seeing the human behind the public persona.

Q: In an era of filters and curated social media personas, what does authenticity mean to you today?

Kasbekar: I’m hoping people see what I’ve increasingly come to believe. The lines and scars on our faces are remnants and medals from life’s battles. Some won. Some lost. Either way, proof that life happened. Maybe they’re meant to stay around. Maybe our images don’t always need to erase them.

If you’re a people photographer, half the job is photography and the other half is making people forget there is a camera in the room. I’ve always thought of myself as a people person first. There are a bunch of athletes, actors, and industrialists who’ve trusted me to take their family and children’s photos, knowing fully well that I would never discuss or share them at any value. I value this respect and blind trust.

Q: Can you share your experiences of working with notable, popular actors?

Kasbekar: The interesting thing is that the truly secure ones rarely behave like stars. Most of the actors I’ve worked with over the years have surprised me with their preparation, humility, and willingness to trust the process. One of the great gifts of photography is that you meet people you’d otherwise never cross paths with and occasionally end up making lifelong friends. Doing a decent job of appealing to everyone’s vanity helps as well.

Q: Photography can be demanding physically and mentally. What habits help you stay healthy and creative?

Kasbekar: I’ve always told younger photographers that fitness is not optional in this profession. This job is surprisingly physical. Personally, I train seven days a week. A mix of Ashtanga yoga, strength work, and active league volleyball.

Fairly regimented. Health and family come before almost everything. I eat at suspiciously precise times, usually variations of the same food based on macro intake, and I value a full family and social life. Also, if football ever opens applications for the equivalent of Harsha Bhogle’s job, I’m quietly confident I’ll bag it.

Over the years, I’ve also learnt to protect my energy. Bad energy rarely gets elevated by proximity to good energy. Usually, the reverse happens. So I try to stay away from people, places, and situations that feel permanently negative. Life is short. Use your bandwidth wisely.

Q: If someone created an honest portrait of Atul Kasbekar, what would it reveal that the public doesn’t already know?

Kasbekar: That would actually be an interesting assignment. I don’t think I wear much of a mask publicly, so I’d be curious to see if another photographer managed to reveal something I hadn’t noticed myself.

Kalki Koechlin for Honest (Photo: PR handout)

Q: What makes someone truly photogenic beyond good looks?

Kasbekar: I’ve been asked this hundreds of times, and I genuinely think there’s an X factor involved. Plenty of good-looking people don’t translate on camera and vice versa. If you want to look your best, stop trying to manage every angle and let go a little. The best photographs tend to happen when people stop auditioning for them.

Q: What’s the most common mistake actors make during photoshoots?

Kasbekar: Thinking too much about their angles. That’s almost always a recipe for disaster. The second is trying to wear trends instead of wearing what actually suits them.

The genuinely confident people rarely announce it. They tend to arrive prepared, trust the team, and don’t spend all day checking themselves on a monitor.

Q: How do you unwind?

Kasbekar: Watching the mighty Arsenal attempt to shorten my lifespan and spending time with my aptly named poodle, Saka.

Sunil Grover for Honest (Photo: PR handout)

Q: Any regrets?

Kasbekar: Should’ve bought Bitcoin when my daughter told me to.

Q: What are the challenges of being a photographer in the times of AI, selfies, and phone cameras?

Kasbekar: Every technological shift causes panic. Film to digital did too. But no typewriter ever wrote a novel by itself. Technology is simply a tool. Creativity remains stubbornly human. Embrace it. It’s not leaving.

Q: What advice would you give young people aspiring to become photographers today?

Kasbekar: Whatever you do, don’t ignore video. If you want to work in visual storytelling, stills alone may not pay the bills for very long. Learn both. Future-proof yourself.