Dabboo Ratnani talks about his calendar shoot and how ‘camp thing’ doesn’t exist for him

We spoke to the ace celebrity photographer, who has completed 16 years in the industry, about how he develops the concepts behind the photoshoots, the starry tantrums he might have had to face and how the “camp thing’ doesn’t exist for him.

Q: Your calendar is, probably, the most awaited one of the year. And it can be well accredited for being the “first of its kind”, apart from being “one of its kind”. How did you come up with this idea?

A: Basically, it’s the 16th edition that’s launched today. This whole idea popped in my mind in December 1999. You must remember at that time, Y2K was the thing. A new millenium was approaching. Everybody was talking about that, I was intrigued about that. That’s when I thought I should do something that’s related to dates and that can happen every year. I came with this idea of a calendar.

That was just the start of my career; I had been there for four years in the business. So I didn’t do any separate photoshoot for the calendar. I took nice pictures of 12 girls I had shot and published them in the form of a calendar. We published around 1000 copies and distributed them to some people and friends from the industry. They really liked the idea; they said, nobody had ever done this before, so it was unique and could be a signature style.

It was the year 2001, when I did a separate photoshoot for the calendar. I shot 12 guys and 12 girls. But that was the time when the social media wasn’t that strong. So, I had to physically send out work to the agencies. So it became a good way for self promotion too. And then gradually it became bigger.

Also, this whole photoshoot and calendar thing helps me evolve as a photographer too. I can generate better ideas and better concepts.

Q: Talking of concepts and ideas, how do you come up with themes for the photoshoots? And what is this year’s concept?

A: There is no concept as such in my calendars. I put a particular theme for every picture, for every celebrity. I want to bring as much variety as I can into the shoot. It should not get monotonous.

When you put a particular theme for your shoot, the theme becomes the hero. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be bound. I want the actor who is posing and my camera to be the hero.

Q: True that and who could imagine a Parineeti Chopra in a bath tub looking so hot! The camera was the hero in this case. And the variety.

A: This same thing happened when Vidya Balan entered the industry. She was a typical Indian beauty and nobody thought she could look hot or sexy. And that’s where I come in. We shot a ‘spa picture’ of hers, wherein it seemed she wasn’t wearing anything under the water. And she looked nice. The pictures were appreciated.

I always keep trying something new. What’s the worst that can happen? The picture won’t come out good. We can always change the set up, concept then. But the fear of failure should not stop us from experimenting. Though the experiments don’t go that far; we set up the theme that suits their personality.

So in this case, Parineeti looked really hot and we are happy about it.

Q: You have been shooting with filmstars and models both. Who is easier to shoot with? And do you have to face any starry tantrums from the actors?

A: I can’t comment on who’s easier to shoot with but yeah, filmstars do come in with their own advantages. Firstly they put in a lot more effort in the process. A model can pose for you in a certain way. But a filmstar improvises upon the picture. Also, a filmstar adds value to the photoshoot.

Talking about tantrums, I never had to face any. Everybody who I have shot is my friend and is very close to me and my family.

Q: Does it become difficult for a photographer to hold his own in today’s Bollywood, where there are rival ‘camps’ ?

A: I am not acquainted with this ‘camp thing’ at all, to be really honest. My shoot schedule with them depends on my rapport with them, not their rapport amongst each other.

Also, since I have been in the industry, nobody has ever come up to me and told me not to shoot with an actor because he belongs to a rival ‘camp’. These things don’t happen.

Q: So, how do you end up making the list of 12 celebrities who should feature in the calendar? And who owns the larger part of the decision making on the pictures?

A: We keep changing the list every year and that has got nothing to do with the particular star’s movies or Bollywood performances or how big a star is. We shortlist stars, and then select among those.

The names in the list also depend on the star’s availability around that time of the year. And I also look for feedback. Like when I click pictures, I do ask them. It’s like 60% me and 40% others’ opinions. I ask others and accordingly, I have the last call on what pictures should be included.

Q: Do you have any favourites from among the stars you have shot? Or any wishlist of stars you haven’t shot and want to shoot with?

A: All the stars I have shot with are my friends. And if I feel anyday that I want to shoot with a star I haven’t worked with before, I just call him up and ask. Like this year, I wanted to work with Ranveer Singh. I called him and he was happy to be shooting with us. So I don’t think there’s a wishlist.

And since all are my friends, I don’t think it’s right to favorite somebody over another. All are my favorites.

Q: So, would you like to name any particular actor/actress, who we should look forward to in this year’s calendar?

A: Look forward to all; all of them.