How celebrity photographer Rohan Shrestha creates iconic moments with stars like Kevin Hart and SRK

“I’m actually quite shy, I don’t like being in front of the camera,” says Rohan Shrestha, seated across his Zoom screen, in his cosy Mumbai home. Perhaps, it is this dichotomy that brings out his best work, courtesy his magic lens. Brought up in a family of photography, with his father Rakesh Shrestha being a pioneer in the field back in the 70s, the camera was akin to a toy for Shrestha Junior in his childhood. This inherent sense of portrait photography coupled with a quest for excellence is what makes Rohan among the top celebrity photographers that India has seen.

Whether it’s photographing Indian film actor Ranveer Singh on an adventurous Yas Waterworld ride or capturing the eternal charm of Shah Rukh Khan with his signature 'white T-shirt' series, through minimalistic frames, what most excites the photographer is capturing the truth of the moment through his camera lens.

In a conversation with Khaleej Times, the photographer talks about his recent Abu Dhabi shoot with global sensation Kevin Hart, his fondness for black and white imagery and how he creates a space for his subjects to be vulnerable in front of the camera.

When did the photography bug bite you?

Shrestha: It’s a very complicated answer. I actually grew up with cameras all around me because my father was a photographer. He was a celebrated photographer in India at the time, having shot for over 600 films. For the longest time, I was scared to try photography because there would be a lot of pressure to match up to his talent and success. The fear of getting judged on the basis of my father actually dissuaded me from trying it out. But then I happened to try out many different things and failed.

Eventually I tried my hand at photography. I became an assistant for five years. I didn’t know when it would be okay for me to pick up a camera myself and charge people money for it. When you charge money for something, you are responsible for creating an outcome for the monetary value. I was very scared. I also ended up doing a course at New York Film Academy, but that was much later in my career. I wanted to understand how to direct and how to shoot. Obviously, I realised videography was not for me but I use many of the same principles in my shoots. Even in my stills, I make people move and stop them in a moment, to capture it.

What made you realise that this was your calling?

Shrestha: It was actually during a shoot I was assisting in Dubai, with my father, who was shooting with Celina Jaitly for Dubai Tourism. They took us out to the desert, into the sand dunes, in those four by four cars and the sun was setting into the horizon. I thought to myself, ‘Wow! This is absolutely gorgeous’. I hadn’t seen anything like that before. It made me realise this was also part of the job. To discover these hidden, exotic locations and beautiful places. And travel is everything to me. I’ve always backpacked, travelled solo, ever since I was young. So, this was the perfect opportunity.

Has travel inspired your photography?

Shrestha: I have specific work that is not recognised as ‘Rohan Shrestha’s work’. It goes under the banner of Nomadwithin.net. It’s basically all my artwork, the work I don’t put out there. My brand is very closely associated with the film industry and Bollywood and that’s a lovely space that Rohan Shrestha, the brand, is in. But there’s also another side of the photographer that I want to keep separate. It’s my space, my passion. It has a lot of my travel photography. I shoot underwater as well.

A lot of your works seem very intimate, there’s a personal element in the photographs. How do you establish this level of comfort with the subject?

Shrestha: Through honesty. I try to be as honest as I can, just like I’m trying to be right now, being absolutely frank. There’s nothing here that I’m hiding. So, if you can see that within me and you trust that, then you will trust the person behind the camera as well.

The subject is in a vulnerable space when they’re in front of the camera. How do you gain their trust?

Shrestha: Through a lot of conversations. I talk extensively with my subject before any shoot and create a space for open and honest communication. I like to get into their headspace and understand them. I need to understand their behaviour, their body language, their mindset. That also breaks the ice and establishes a level of comfort that I want with my subject. And I believe that the subject should have the same level of comfort with me because I’m directing them.

A lot of the picture-perfect moments photographers create — blemish-free skin, skinny silhouettes — can also be the reason for young girls to develop body-image issues, consuming unrealistic notions of beauty. Do you feel responsible as a photographer to not construct a false image?

Shrestha: I try as much as I can to keep the retouching as minimal as possible. I don’t like lightening or brightening my subjects unnecessarily. That’s something I’ve been very staunch about, as much as I can be. Of course, there are certain guidelines that we have to follow when it comes to brand campaigns that have specific briefs about appearances.

But on the personal front, I try to showcase the real, humane side of my subjects. That’s also what led to the start of my white T-shirt series, where I photograph celebrities in white Tees, with almost bare face, minimal makeup and camera setup and take their headshots. It’s going beyond the façade, to photograph the person, not the actor or the star. I genuinely believe that the beauty lies in the imperfection of the shot. That’s what truly makes that person stand out. That’s their individuality.

Is the series truly filter-free or similar to the #NoMakeupMakeup look where there’s a certain amount of work done to look ‘naturally flawless’?

Shrestha: There’s no filter, it’s just a one-light setup that I use. It started as a pre-shoot, where the actor would just sit there with basic moisturiser etc., before getting dressed up and I’d use it as an icebreaker session. I’d talk them through the process and they’d ask me their questions. From there it became this whole series.

Your job also entails making the subject look beautiful. How do you define ‘beauty’?

Shrestha: I don’t look at it in terms of creating beauty or creating something beautiful. I capture people for who they are. That’s how I look at it. Almost like a documentary, I try to showcase the truth of that moment. I know it’s a boring answer but even if you see the photoshoot with Kevin Hart. It’s just him being himself. He’s not staging anything. He’s looking out of the window, lounging around.