Photographer Atul Kasbekar’s ‘Honest’ portraits of actors
Photographer Atul Kasbekar discusses his exhibition 'HONEST: Portraits of Character,' which features intimate portraits of Indian cinema's character actors. He emphasizes the importance of capturing authentic human expressions over filtered, curated imagery.
Why it matters
The exhibition highlights the often-overlooked contributions of character actors in the film industry and critiques modern digital beauty standards.
What does an honest portrait look like in an age of filters and carefully curated identities? For veteran photographer Atul Kasbekar, it begins in the quiet moments when performance falls away and the person beneath comes into view. That idea formed the foundation of his first solo portrait exhibition — ‘HONEST: Portraits of Character’, held at Jio World Plaza, featured 56 intimate portraits of some of Indian cinema’s celebrated character actors. Drawing on over three decades behind the camera, Kasbekar invited viewers to look past the familiar faces and discover the humanity, vulnerability and lived experiences etched within them.
During a conversation, Kasbekar revealed why he considers filters the enemy of portraiture and what makes character actors the finest performers.
Mona Singh | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Atul Kasbekar
What does ‘Honest’ mean to you and what inspired this body of work?
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in