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Madonna has been my muse ever since I became a photographer - Dabboo Ratnani on the launch of his 2017 calendar
Dabboo Ratnani is one name that needs no introduction. The ace photographer has been there around in the industry for close to two decades now and his calendar launch is the year's one of the most awaited events. As Dabboo gears up for the launch of his 2017 calendar, we catch up with him for a quick chat. From talking about his Hollywood muse, to working with debutantes for 2017 calendar and him wishing to have more months in a year to accommodate stars in the calendar, Dabboo talks about it all! Read on...
Dabboo, the calendar launches tonight. How excited are you?
I am super excited and very nervous at the same time. Though it is my 18th calendar, the nervousness is always there. I don't know how will people react to the pictures. I am quite anxious to see the reactions from the audience, media, stars, guests etc. Everyone has a different set of favourites, so I want to know from all of them as to what do they think of the calendar.
The calendar launch is the most awaited event of the New Year. Is it more of a boost?
It is also an added pressure because of that. It has been 18 years and I have taken it to another level. People expect a certain standard and it makes me work harder. I try to push myself more and it keeps me fired up. It makes me try new things and experiment. It is a boost that every photographer needs. I always try to keep growing every year. I am competing with my own self.
How do you come up with new ideas for the pictures? Are the themes decided keeping in mind the actor?
It depends from actor to actor. The shoots aren't spontaneous though. It is planned but saying that, sometimes we go in with a plan and then after reaching the location we come up with other interesting things. It happened this year. We went with a set plan and then came up with some other interesting stuff. We are always open to trying to new things and 90% we go with that because then shoots are quick.
You shot with Sanjay Dutt after almost 8 years. How was the experience?
It was amazing. He treats me like a younger brother. I shot with him first time for Aatish and since then we both have been great friends and have worked a lot. But unfortunately in the past 8 years, he has been going through a lot and I was waiting for him to come back. This is the 1st year since he is out and he was more relaxed. Hence it was an amazing experience and we bonded well. My kids and his kids are friends so it was more like family!
Sunny Leone, Disha Patani and Tiger Shroff are making a debut on your calendar this year....
Sunny Leone is super sweet. I worked with her last year for a brand. That is when I really got to know her. So I thought to feature her this year. I asked her and she was super excited. I always try to add new names to get about a freshness and newness in the calendar. It is a great entry for Sunny. She has flown down from US to attend the launch. With Disha I had worked few years ago. Her body language, the way she moves and photographs is spot on. Hence I decided to get her on board. Tiger is also there. This is my first ever shoot with him. I shot with him straight away for the calendar and it was amazing.
Is it difficult to short list on the actors for your calendar? How do you manage?
(Laughs). It is very difficult. To be very honest, it is very difficult. I wish there were more months in the year so that I could shoot with more people. Just to add a couple of names so that the calendar looks fresh, we shuffle one or two names. 18-20 actors are constant like the Bachchans, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra among others. I have been shooting with them for years now. Other names keep changing owing to their availability. It has got a lot to do with combining the dates. Sometimes the actors are in a particular look which they cannot reveal. So we always have a list of 30-35 people. For me it is not who is popular or hotter, but it is with whom I share cordial relations and who looks good in a photograph.
Though it is unfair, but which is your favourite shot from 2017 calendar?
It is not possible for me to do that. I cannot choose. I have put efforts in all the photos and the beauty of it is that everyone perceives it differently. Everyone have different interpretation of the same photograph.
If there is one Hollywood celebrity you would want to shoot with and feature on your calendar, who would it be?
Madonna, and there are no two ways about it. She has been my muse since I ever became a photographer.
Your wife Manisha and kids have been a great support. Is that a huge encouragement?
I cannot do it without them. They are completely a huge encouragement for me. The kind of pressure that we deal with during the calendar, family support is important. I focus on the creative pattern and Manisha handles everything else. She helps in the picture selection also. It is always good to have someone who doesn't cloud your judgement. Also, kids coming to the shoot are a great stress busters. It is not a commercial shoot so there is no issue. They have grown up on sets. All the actors when you go for shoot, they will be like 'Arre where are the kids?'.
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