Renowned Indian Photographer Raghu Rai, Padma Shri Recipient, Dies at 83

India mourns the loss of one of its most celebrated visual storytellers, Raghu Rai, who passed away at 83. A recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri, Rai's lens captured the soul of India for decades, documenting its triumphs, struggles, and everyday life with unparalleled depth and empathy. His journey in photography began in the early 1960s, honing his skills under the tutelage of his elder brother, S Paul. Rai's professional career took flight in 1965 when he joined The Statesman in New Delhi. His early work included covering pivotal national moments, famously capturing the presence of The Beatles at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in 1968. Moving to the weekly magazine Sunday as picture editor in 1976, Rai's career reached new heights when he was nominated to the esteemed Magnum Photos agency in 1977 by none other than Henri Cartier-Bresson. Later, as picture editor and photographer for India Today, Rai undertook some of his most impactful projects, most notably his harrowing documentation of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster and its enduring aftermath, which he also chronicled in his book 'Exposure: A Corporate Crime.' His prolific output resulted in over 18 books, offering profound insights into India's people, culture, and cities. Rai's photographs graced the pages of global publications like Time, Life, The New York Times, Newsweek, and The New Yorker, bringing India's stories to an international audience. The Padma Shri, awarded in 1972 for his powerful coverage of the Bangladesh War, is just one of the many testaments to his extraordinary contribution to photojournalism.

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Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago but he was cured. Then it spread to the stomach, that too was cured. Recently the cancer spread to his brain and then there were age related issues too.