Known for redefining new-age romance, Imtiaz Ali is a director, producer, and writer whose movies offer a unique perspective on relationships. Born on 16th June, 1971, in Jamshedpur, Imtiaz grew up in Patna and Jamshedpur. After his early education in Patna, he studied at Delhi University. Here he took part in college theatre and started Ibtida, the dramatic society of Hindu College.
Thereafter, he moved to Mumbai and did a diploma in filmmaking from Xavier Institute of Communication. He initiated his career by directing and writing TV shows. He directed shows such as Naina, Kurukshetra, and Imtihaan.
In the year 2005, he made his directorial debut with the feature film "Socha Na Tha". In 2007, his second feature film, "Jab We Met", went on to become a megahit. After that, many of his other films, such as "Love Aaj Kal", "Rockstar", "Cocktail" and "Tamasha", went on to become commercial and critical successes.
Imtiaz Ali helms a film production house, "Window Seat Films", whose initial release was a success with the film "Highway" in 2014. He is an eminent filmmaker, nationally and internationally.
Raghu Rai (born in December 1942) started photography at the age of 23. He joined The Statesman newspaper as their Chief Photographer (1966 - 1976), and later joined Sunday - a weekly news magazine published in Kolkata as their Picture Editor (1977 - 1980).
In 1972, the legendary photographer Henri Cartier Bresson nominated him to Magnum Photos, the world’s most prestigious photographer’s cooperative which Rai became a part of in 1977. He continues to be a part of this legendary institute.
Rai took over as Picture Editor-Visualiser-Photographer of India Today, contributing trailblazing picture essays from 1982-1991. His series on Great Masters Of Indian Classical Music, Satyajit Ray, and Mother Teresa, had become a talking point for the magazine.
He was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ in 1972. In 1992, Rai was awarded 'Photographer of the Year' for his work published in National Geographic. In 2009, he was conferred Officer des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. In 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in India. Recently, in 2018, Rai was honoured by The Lucie Foundation, New York as a Master of Photojournalism.
His photo essays have appeared in the world’s leading magazines and newspapers - including Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Die Welt, The New York Times, The Sunday Times - London, Newsweek, Vogue, GQ, D magazine, Marie Claire, The Independent, and the New Yorker. He has been an adjudicator for World Press Photo Contest, Amsterdam, and UNESCO’s International Photo Contest.
Mr. Rai is the only photographer in the world to get 'The Academie Des Beaux Art' Paris Awards 2019 - one of the highest awards in photography, ever given to a living photographer.
Raghu Rai lives in New Delhi with his family and is currently working on his 57th publication.