Behind the lens: A take on Raghu Rai on World Photography Day

The documentary An Unframed Portrait traces the journey of celebrated photographer Raghu Rai. It begins with him borrowing a camera to click his very first photo of a baby donkey, which was published in The Times, London. It goes on to depict his eventful career as the photojournalist who covered the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the plight of refugees during the 1971 Bangladesh War, the Emergency and the unrest in the Kashmir Valley among several events of national importance, as well as personalities like Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Dalai Lama. Rai's photographs speak volumes – a photo titled Burial of An Unknown Child became the poster image of the Bhopal Tragedy.

But what makes this documentary interesting is the way it gives a glimpse of Rai in ordinary life. After all it was made by his 26-year-old daughter Avani. "Initially, she shot without saying anything, so I didn't take it seriously. But soon others, among Anurag Kashyap, came on board with her. I was surprised and even saw it as a musibat (headache)," he chuckles. "But then you want the best for your child and so I thought of letting her shoot me. At the same time, I wanted her to act more professionally and have the same high standards." For instance, Rai disapproves of low angle shots; also, after several documentaries on him, he wanted his daughter to create something different.

The documentary has footage of homely banter between the duo. At one point, he tells her that if she wants to work seriously, she should forget going out on New Year's Eve. To which she asks him to shut up – provoking laughter from the audience. Screened earlier this month in New Delhi, the documentary premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2017, followed by several festival appearances.

The 54-minute long documentary has Rai expounding his philosophy of life and photography, and also recounting the stories behind some of his iconic shots. It also raises the question of his loyalty towards Indira Gandhi, whom he had photographed on several occasions.

"I am loyal to the situation as it speaks to me," he explains bluntly. Over the years, this attitude has been evident in his pictures of the unrest in the Valley, regardless of who is in power. It's the same intrepid stance that led him, earlier this month, to write an open letter to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed after Shahidul Alam, the award-winning Bangladeshi photographer was picked up by the police for allegedly making "false" and "provocative" statements in an interview to Al Jazeera. "All he has done is use his photographic skills and voice to capture the truth of ongoing reality in a most committed and compassionate way. May I humbly request and plead not to punish the honest, the truthful representative of the youth," writes Rai, who was honoured by Sheikh Hasina in 2012.