Rohan Shrestha talk about films, family, friends and of course, photography
Harshada Rege (DNA; March 22, 2015)

At 29, Rohan Shrestha is among the most talented photographers in Bollywood. From someone who picked up the camera a little reluctantly to getting into all aspects of it – including under-water photography – he has obviously come a long way. Bollywood doesn't dazzle him. His dad Rakesh Shrestha created a name of himself that's not just difficult, but impossible to live up to. So, Rohan instead of trying to match his dad, tries to carve his on niche. As he rule, he doesn't use his father's name to bag a shoot, but admits that he was tempted to do so at times. His tuning with the younger generation of actors like Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Sonam Kaspoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan – some of whom he calls his close friends – is bang on. But his muse isn't any of the gorgeous actors that he shoots with. He is madly in love with New York. The city inspires him, he says. Unlike most people who stay behind-the-camera, Rohan loves talking. I suffer from "foot-in-mouth disorder" he claims. But there's more to him than his bratty exterior. Excerpts from a chat with the photographer:

Is it true that you didn’t want to be a photographer?
Even as a kid, I was extremely interested in the arts. But I was a rebellious kid. You want to be different… not choose the obvious. I wanted to do my own thing. But the fact was, I loved everything to do with art — be it sketching or painting. It’s not that I didn’t want be a photographer. I tried to not opt to be a photographer because it was the most obvious choice. But I have been shooting with cameras since I was four. My dad used to let me play with his stuff, his equipment and I had all his stuff around me all the time. I wasn’t star-struck ever because actors used to come home. I used to be running around, annoying everybody during shoots. I realised around 18 that this is what I want to do. I was just out of college and I used to play a lot of football and basically, had no real ambition. I wanted to take up science and do engineering or become a pilot and things like that. But I remember I nearly flunked Math in Std 10. My tuition teacher came home to tell my mom not to let me take up science. I was in tears before my Board exams. When I scored 78 per cent, it was huge. Also, I have been a late bloomer. At 15, you don’t really know what you want to do. I used to keep to myself a lot when I was growing up and that went on to shape my personality.

Your first major photoshoot…
That would have to be the cover I shot with Ranbir Kapoor. I was doing a one-page shoot. I got paid for it, which was huge deal because I was just a year old in the profession. And then suddenly I got a call and they asked, ‘Will you shoot Ranbir?’ Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. At that time, I had barely started shooting Bollywood. I wanted to do fashion stuff and travel, which I am doing even now. But that time, I thought I should do it later because again it was the obvious choice because my dad was a photographer. And it’s a very huge name to live up to. Rakesh Shrestha in my opinion — and I am not just saying it because he’s my father — is in the top three in the history of Indian photography. I realised that I’m going to live in my dad’s shadow until I go out there and do something. So when Ranbir’s shoot landed in my lap, that was a humongous achievement. After that shoot, I never looked back. It was in 2010…it’ll be five years now. To be honest, I didn’t know what was happening at that time. During the shoot, the cover was nailed in no time. Ranbir was great to work with.

Your mom didn’t get to see your success…
She passed away a day before my first cover was released. It took the life out of me because I was extremely attached to her. I was 24 and had just started working. I started believing in spirituality post that. I didn’t have siblings and had to deal with it alone. And I dealt with it in the best way that I could. It took me a while to get over it. I have no memory of August 2009. I stopped working completely. To keep myself occupied, I decided to play tennis. The first day that I went to play, I got multiple slipped discs because there was so much stress in my body because of my emotional state. I had to deal with immense emotional and physical pain. Luckily, I had friends who stuck by me. My dad stood by me through all the pain. I don’t know how he did that because he had just lost his wife. He’d meet me and just hold me and I’d just wail. I would keep crying and he would just keep holding me tight. It was difficult, but it got us so much closer. Today, I feel my mother’s presence around me. I was very much my mum’s son. I know that she is always watching over.

Is your dad still shooting?
No, he quit in 2009 after my mom passed away. He never shot after that.

How would you describe your relationship with your dad?
Dad was working like crazy when I was a kid. There were hardly any magazines back then. Photographers couldn’t make money until they worked on films. And at that point, every film was shot in Ooty, Kashmir or Switzerland. I came to realise much later how hard my father worked. When I talk to people in the industry, they tell me that my father used to work so hard, he used to finish three shoots in one day. Today, if I work on two I feel exhausted. He was doing three, sometimes four. My father came from nowhere and managed to make a name for himself.

You assisted him. How was that experience?
It was hilarious! He made me the third assistant. He is very correct that way. He had two assistants who were senior to me who took great pleasure in getting me to do all the dirty work. I was a bratty kid back then and sometimes, I would get pissed. My dad had no qualms about yelling at me. And sometimes, I deserved it.

You have begun your own charity…
One of my dreams is to build a house for the aged. I am very attached to my grandfather who is very old today and I see people like him struggle everyday. I have already begun my NGO. It’s called Humans of Tomorrow. It’s based on a concept in New York where you get people to help other people. I think everyone wants to do something for others, but they don’t know the path. We did our first event this Christmas when we organised a party at an orphanage. I plan to take it forward in 2015. I wanted to raise Rs 25,000 for charity and I ended up raising 60K! Because of that money we could give the kids a toy-train ride and a jumping jack. Those kids were so happy. When you see a child going crazy having a great time bouncing in a jumping jack that you have rented for just Rs 2,500, that joy is unmatched. I have started realising that there’s lot more to life than materialism.

Were things easy for you because you are your dad’s son?
One thing I must establish is that my dad never lets me use his name to bag photoshoots. He told me, ‘I am giving you the equipment and your studio, after that you are on your own.’ It wasn’t like I wasn’t tempted, but he has never allowed me that. A lot of people give me this attitude that ‘Oh, you had it so easy’. But honestly, if I was to take help from him, I would be shooting the biggest actors within my first five years. I haven’t shot with a lot of them even today. If you see my timeline, I am working with Varun, Shraddha, Ranveer Aditya, Sonam, Sonakshi and Alia. They are all the newer actors. These are relationships I have established by myself.

Ever had to pursue anyone?
I never had to pursue, but I had to manifest. I believe in the laws of attraction. My two biggest aims in life were to shoot Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. And I managed to shoot one of them.

Which one?
Mr Bachchan! I shot with him mid-2014. That was the highlight of my Bollywood career. I had never met him before that. For this shoot, I got a call asking if I would be free on a particular date to shoot Mr Bachchan. I was like, ‘Even if I am not, I will make sure I am at the shoot.’ They said they would show my website to his team and let them approve of me as a photographer. I prayed to every God possible. I cried after the shoot. After he left, I realised the enormity of the moment that had passed by. I also knew that I had nailed the shoot, which was even cooler. When Mr Bachchan was impressed by my work, I was absolutely thrilled.

Which actor is easiest to shoot with?
I have different bonds with different actors. A photographer has to be like a chameleon. Your ideas are great, but you also have to work around the actor’s personality and get the best out of them. We are not directors who have them playing a character. We are shooting them as themselves. I have an advantage that they are in my age group. We have common friends, have gone to same tuition. Sonam Kapoor and I were four when we used to go to computer classes together. These are bonds that are beyond them being an actor and me a photographer. We are now working together and that’s really cool. Sonakshi Sinha and I have shot 31 times. And that’s not an exaggeration. I can shoot her in my sleep. Shraddha Kapoor and I are like brother and sister. I connect with her on another level. We are so in sync when we work together. Ranveer Singh and I are 29. We are both going to be 30 this year. We have known each other since we were three in a class of 30 people. I knew Varun Dhawan before he became an actor. I shot with Arjun Kapoor even before Ishaqzaade. I knew these guys before they joined the industry. They are all easy to work with.

Advice to budding photographers…
What’s happening with the younger guys that with the digital era I see a lot off impatience. Lighting is the key. It’s not your camera, not your equipment. The literal translation of the word ‘photography’ is ‘painting with light’. It’s about how you play with light. The biggest advice is don’t try to hide behind Photoshop. A purist will always be able to spot you.

One personality you would give your right arm to work with?
More than a personality, I would love to work with Italian photographer Paolo Roversi. Few months back, I was assisting a photographer in New York where I was the guy who served coffee. And that was fine by me because by being there, I got to learn so much.

Which actor comes prepared for a shoot?
Most actors from the younger lot don’t come prepared because they are good with improving on the spot. They are up for anything. They bring some edge to the table.

Is it easier to shoot for magazines or films?
Working on films is not easy. You have to shoot lots of options and it takes all day. Magazine shoots I am comfortable with because that is how I began. I am now an editorial photographer for fashion magazines. I have just begun work on films. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania was the first film I worked on.

How did that happen?
I met Karan Johar in New York in 2013. I told him that I am not too sure I want to come back. He said come back and work on my film. He gave me a number. One day, I called up that person though I already had an offer for an internship. Finally, I decided to come back. The next thing I knew I was shooting for Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and now am working on four films.

Who according to you is India’s most photogenic actor?
The most photogenic actor is Hrithik Roshan and actress is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. They are my dream projects, but I haven’t shot with them as yet.

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
I have no idea. I don’t know what I am going to be doing one year from now. My biggest goal is to work in New York. The city inspires me. I am a nomad. I want to travel the world. I started scuba diving in 2005. It’s become a part of my life now. I am delving into underwater photography. I can’t be a conformist photographer. That’s why sometimes I make the actors do ridiculous things. I have painted Sonam’s face, made Shaddha look like a 90-year-old woman. It’s great that they have that trust in me. I want to explore various sides of my photography, which will help me explore every side of my personality. Your ideas are an extension of yourself. People think the world is small, but it’s also vast. There are great people out there to meet and know. And why shouldn’t I explore? I am just 29!