Atul Kasbekar

Some Lesser Known Facts About Atul Kasbekar

• Atul Kasbekar is an Indian Fashion photographer, Entrepreneur, and Bollywood film producer, who is best known for the Kingfisher Calendar shoots.

• After joining the UDCT (now Institute of Chemical Technology), Mumbai for chemical engineering Atul dropped out after the first year as he wanted to pursue his career in photography so he joined brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California.

• In 1991, he opened his own photography studio named Negative Space. He has worked with many brands and celebrities. Atul also revealed that he had the single longest partnership with Kingfisher. He did shoots of more than ten editions of the Kingfisher Calendar at places like Mauritius (2003), Thailand (2004), South Africa (2005), Australia (2006), France-French Riviera (2007), India-Goa, Andaman, Ladakh and Udaipur (2008), Andaman Sea (2009), Maldives (2010), Mauritius (2011), and Negombo-Sri Lanka (2012).

• In 2007, Atul started a celebrity management company, Bling Entertainment Solutions, in which he partnered with the leading international and national brands including PepsiCo, Nestle, HUL, ITC, Airtel, Kingfisher, Samsung, P&G, Sony, Swarovski, LG Mobiles, L’Oreal, Marico, Levi Strauss, Hublot, Toshiba, Panasonic, Canon, Johnson & Johnson, Nerolac, Teachers choice, Flipkart, and the Swatch Group. His company’s prominent clients are Vidya Balan, Manoj Bajpayee, Amol Parashar, Kangana Ranaut, Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sayani Gupta, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Rahul Bose, Harleen Sethi, Purab Kohli, Kabir Bedi, Sakshi Tanwar, Cyrus Broacha, and Arjan Bajwa.

• Atul is an animal lover as he owns a dog, Barfee. He has also joined PETA India, which is India’s animal rights organization.

• According to Atul, he enjoys doing yoga and even posts his yoga asanas videos and pictures on social media.

• Atul often posts pictures of his luxury wristwatch collection on social media.

• Atul supports the Nanhikali project, which aims to provide education and dignity to ever underprivileged girls.

• Once Atul posted on his Instagram that during his childhood he loved eating Kaju Katli and Motichoor Laddoo.

• In 2017, Atul was a judge in the tv show, India’s Top Model.
  

• As per Atul, his favourite vegetarian restaurant is O Pedro.

• On 16 November 2013, an application named Signature Selfie was launched, in which the person who uploaded the best selfie would get a chance to get his photo clicked by Atul.
  

• Atul revealed in an interview that he never did shoot for any fairness creams and tried promoting the duskier models more.

• Atul once revealed that he desires to shoot Russian model and actress, Irina Shayk, for Kingfisher Calander.

• Atul once posted on his Instagram that he considers photographer, Gautam Rajadhyaksh, as his mentor and inspiration.

• In 2018, an anonymous user accused Atul of sexual harassment on the set of the film, Why Cheat India. To this Atul issued a statement signed by the star cast of the film, Why Cheat India, Kasbekar, Tanuj Garg, Shanti Sivaram, Swati Iyer and Piya Sawhney, the statement said that
  

  We have no received any complaint of inappropriate behaviour by Atul Kasbekar from any female member in our unit of ‘Cheat India’ during the shooting.”

• In 2020, Atul raised funds through a charity initiative to source 20,000 PPE kits for frontline workers at over 40 hospitals across the country during the pandemic time and as a film producer, he initiated COVID-19 insurance that covered shoots during pandemic times.

• According to Atul he prefers visiting museums and interesting restaurants when he is on vacation.

• Atul, on talking to a media person about his interest in sports, said that he has a bat that is signed by a cricketer, Vivian Richards, an MRF bat, which is one in 10 in the world signed by Trinidadian former international cricketer, Brian Lara. He also has signed bat by Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar. Atul also owns American boxer, Mohammed Ali’s boxing shorts and American basketball player, Kobe Bryant’s signed jersey.

• Taking about his career Atul said that he desires to work more on personal projects.

• In 2017, the film, Neerja, produced by Atul won the National award for the best feature film in Hindi.

• During leisure time Atul enjoys cigars, playing cricket and football.

• Talking about his career once Atul said that
  

  The camera is my first love, and as a producer on the film, it allowed me to give that visual shape even to the publicity campaign. I have been shooting campaigns for movies for over 3 decades and this one is truly special.”

•  110mm Kodak and Agfa Asoly Click–III were the first cameras used by Atul.

• Atul admires photographers Richard Avedon, David LaChapelle, Jimmy Nelson, Raghu Rai, Herb Ritts, and Annie Leibovitz.

• Atul often posts his drinking videos on social media.