Obituary: Noted photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta missed by the industry

The acclaimed artist succumbed to a heart attack on August 12; Dasgupta was particularly known for his black and white photography.

Acclaimed photographer, Prabuddha Dasgupta passed away on August 12. He succumbed to a heart attack while on a shoot. Dasgupta was 56.

Widely known for his black and white art, Dasgupta's iconic career spanned over three decades, particularly in the fashion world.

His first book 'Women', published in 1996 was a controversial collection of portraits and nudes of urban Indian women. His other books include Ladakh (2000), Work (Bodhi Art) (2006), Longing (Bodhi Art) (2007) and his last one was published in 2009 called Edge of Faith.

Pursuing both commissioned and artistic work, Dasgupta's work has been exhibited internationally and published in many magazines.

Remembered by the fashion industry, Indian advertising too misses the artist. Senior professionals who have worked with Dasgupta on various campaigns spoke to afaqs! in tribute.

Says Subhash Kamath, managing partner, BBH India, "Prabuddha (Dasgupta) was an awesome lensman and I remember him fondly from my days on Arrow shirts. He used to shoot most of our campaigns then. What I remember most about him is that he is probably the only photographer I know who used to iscuss the brand strategy and the idea first before getting down to execution. It was genuinely a privilege working with someone as intelligent and talented as him."

"Prabuddha was part of the agency team that created the signature look for DeBeers. It was an honour to work with a legend and a thorough professional," says Dhunji S Wadia, president, Everest Brand Solutions.

Alok Nanda of Alok Nanda & Company says, "Prabuddha was close to me and Trikaya (now Grey). He was almost like our in-house photographer. We have worked on some of the most memorable campaigns together. Not many people know but every picture on the entire Mauritius Tourism campaign was shot by Prabuddha. I remember I was the writer on the campaign and Vikas Gaitonde was the art director. He used to just get everything so quickly and unfailingly. I have some amazing memories with him and I am deeply saddened."

"Prabuddha was a fine man first and a formidable photographer thereafter. He was touched by a very special talent and he left a permanent mark on the photographic canvas of this country. Evidently, God wanted his portrait shot," says Swapan Seth, chairman, Equus Red Cell.

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