Gautam Rajadhyaksha is a fashion photographer from Maharashtra; belonging to the Maharashtrian Saraswat Brahmin family. A writer by profession, Gautam Rajadhyaksha, has clicked over 200 film personalities in his career of 17 years. Gautam Rajadhyaksha decided to take up the photography when he could not get a photographer on Sundays to click stars that he interviewed for Celebrity magazine.

Gautam Rajadhyaksha, born on September 16, 1950 has become one of the leading fashion photographers of the time. Actresses Shabana Azmi and Shobha De encouraged him to take up photography. His pictures were very famous during that time and even today stars like Kajol is considered his discovery more than that of director Rahul Rawail. Besides, he has also snapped such senior actors like Durga Khote. In 1989, Asha Bhosle set up an exhibition for Rajyadhyaksha in Pune. It was with a great deal of concern that he went ahead with it. The exhibition`s success gave him some confidence.

Gautam Rajadhyaksha has put all his pictures together in a book called `Faces`. The book with pictures of the biggest names in Bollywood has been spliced together with anecdotes, describing what happened when photographing them or while just chatting with them. He has chosen just 75 of the 200 stars he has clicked. Only because those photographs signify something to him and the person he has clicked. This best known celebrity portraitist boasts a collection of all the icons of the Indian Film industry.

Gautam Rajadhyaksha schooled from St. Xavier`s High School, Fort and did his graduation in Chemistry at the St. Xavier`s College, Mumbai, where he later also taught for two years. He is the cousin of noted novelist Shobha De. Having completed his diploma in advertising and public relations, he joined the photo services department of Lintas India Ltd, a leading advertising agency in 1974, and eventually became the head of the department. During his 15-year stretch, he participated in the creation of milestone ad campaigns, while continuing his childhood obsession of photography over the weekends. His first encounter with fashion photography happened 1980, when he happen to shoot pictures of actress Shabana Azmi (a college mate), Tina Munim and Jackie Shroff, and his passion for portraiture photography gradually increased. Soon, he left his advertising job in 1987 and took up commercial photography full-time, thus started doing product campaigns, media assignments and fashion portfolios.

While he was still working for the Lintas, as a copywriter, Shobha De invited him to write for her magazine, `Celebrity`. Eventually, he started shooting photographs for his articles, this got him attention and soon approval as a glamour photographer, and before long he started working for other magazines as well, including The Illustrated Weekly of India, and film magazines like Stardust, Cineblitz and Filmfare. As a film photographer, he is credited for discovering glamour faces like Tina Munim, Salman Khan and Indian Supermodel Sheetal Mallar. Apart from doing occasional television talk shows, Gautam Rajadhyaksha edits Marathi entertainment fortnightly, `Chanderi` and writes a popular column, Manas Chitra, in leading Marathi news daily.

In 1997, Gautam Rajadhyaksha released coffee table book, titled, `FACES`, containing 45 film personalities beginning with Durga Khote, one of India`s first ladies of the Indian screen and ending with Aishwarya Rai, renowned former Miss World and today`s Bollywood`s leading actress. His portraits of musicians, writers, sportspersons and industrialists have also brought him great critical acclaim and a permanent place in the history of post Independence Indian photography.

In 1992, Gautam Rajadhyaksha wrote his first screenplay, for the film, `Bekhudi`, which launched the dusky actress Kajol`s career and his second, `Anjaam` presented, Madhuri Dixit with a challenging role. In 2000, he held his first ever photo-exhibition in Pune showcasing, his twenty years as a photography career. His exhibitions have been held in Pune, Goa and Kolhapur attracted huge crowds and his exhibitions in San Francisco, London, Birmingham and Dubai, have opened to appreciative crowds. Gautam Rajadhyaksha is a scholar and collector of opera recordings and has held several talk shows on the subject. Currently, Gautam Rajadhyaksha is involved with projects concerning Western and Indian Classical music.

Filmography of Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Movie stills by Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Year	Film
1991	Henna
1994	Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!
1997	Dil To Pagal Hai
1997	Ishq
1998	Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
1998	Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha
1999	Hum Saath Saath Hain
1999	Hu Tu Tu
2001	Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Gautam Rajadhyaksha as Screenwriter

Year	Film
1992	Bekhudi
1994	Anjaam- (story)
2007	Sakhi- (story and screenplay)