May 2026

 
This year, we lost someone so dear to us. From the first time I met him in 2007, until our last interaction during COVID, when I interviewed him over Zoom, Raghu Ji [Raghu Rai] always left me enriched and in an inspired, pensive state of mind. I admired him not only for his photography but also his philosophy, his pure heart and purpose and his brilliance. My last exchange with him was more personal, where he shared moments, images and instances that held a special place in his heart. He will always be an auteur, who touched many lives with his evoca­tive, hard-hitting and celebratory images, as well as thought-provoking words. His eye found the perfect balance of all senses in a single image. In 2007, he said, ‘Photography is a darshan that I am connect­ed to’. In 2013, he said ‘Photography is my religion. I do it like a good pilgrim’. And in 2019, ‘I treat the art as my dharma, my religion, if you do that then you would know how to worship it. If you don’t know how to worship, how to pray, then you’ve made it into a profession; an antithesis of everything that you are’. The consistency, purity, honesty and intention of his art is what makes him the father of photography.

In this issue, we revisit some of his profound words and imagery that we have featured through the years.
Amid our tribute to this wonderful man, Dr Amin Jaffer gives us an insight into his own curato­rial process, the Venice Biennale underway, where he shares that his focus is on Indian origin artists from all over the world. His main aim is to present contemporary art with Indian techniques and mate­rials that engage a global audience. One of the most celebrated fashion designers from South East Asia, Prabal Gurung, takes us through the various in­stances, interactions and cultures that have shaped who he is today. Through his artistry, he tells a sto­ry, using the language of fashion to communicate when words seem insufficient. Hospitality in Design sees a motley crew on stage at our 20 Year celebra­tion, Platform - Creative Playground, that discusses the importance of design through various channels of hospitality. Be it restaurants, hotels, travel, con­cept stores, packaging or graphics, design is a com­mon necessity in all genres of life.

We also spoke to art enthusiast and cura­tor Feroze Gujral, where we got up to date with her new programming and curatorial thoughts at this moment in time. As a cultural communicator, she shares the important questions circling her mind and the societal impact she hopes the answers will create. Along with that, we get a chance to see some of her prized possessions and the sto­ries behind them. After nine years, global musician Karsh Kale presents Dust, a genre-bending album that not only comprises his tabla beats but also his voice. Masterchef Manish Mehrotra invites us to his first-ever independent offering, Nisaba. In between courses, he shares the ingredients behind the soul­ful, satisfying and familiar food reimagined.
Lastly, our cover highlights the theme of dis­placement and the idea of garments existing out­side their expected context. Fashion Director, Ar­jun Saluja collaborates with photographer Aaryan Sinha at the Kathika Cultural Centre in Old Delhi to juxtapose the modern and conceptual against the old and heritage. The perfect medley in this Sum­mer edition.

Shruti Kapur Malhotra
Editor-in-chief