TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR THE PIRELLI CALENDAR 2027, INDIA AS THE PROTAGONIST

The 2027 Pirelli Calendar focuses on India through a creative dialogue that brings together Western and Indian perspectives.

As it does every year, Pirelli has revealed the concept, shooting locations and cast of the highly anticipated new edition of The Cal™ (Pirelli Calendar).

The protagonist of the 2027 Pirelli Calendar is India – a vast country celebrated for its beauty, diversity and complexity. For the first time in the history of The Cal™, the project will feature the work of two photographers. The Calendar brings together renowned Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and Avani Rai, who has completed the unfinished vision of her late father, legendary Indian photographer Raghu Rai.

Entrusting the project to two distinct perspectives – one Western and one Indian – reflects a desire to foster an artistic dialogue between internationally acclaimed creative voices.

Through the Eyes of Two Photographers

For the first time in the history of The Cal™, the 2027 Pirelli Calendar has been created through the collaboration of two photographers. Focusing on India’s many dimensions, the project explores the country through both a fashion- and portrait-driven approach as well as a street- and people-centred perspective.

Photographing his section of the Calendar at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and Ajabgarh, in the state of Rajasthan, Sølve Sundsbø focuses primarily on portraiture. His cast of internationally renowned figures includes actresses Aditi Rao Hydari and Avantika Vandanapu, actress and producer Freida Pinto, musician and composer Anoushka Shankar, poet and performance artist Rupi Kaur, models Lakshmi Menon and Bhavitha Mandava, author and television host Padma Lakshmi, as well as fellow photographer Avani Rai herself.

Explaining his approach to the project, Sundsbø said:

“When we first started talking about this project, it was immediately clear to me that I couldn’t do it on my own. When I was told Raghu Rai would be involved, it was incredible for me – he’s a photography god in my eyes. I’m focusing on portraits of the people of this country, while I’ve left the more challenging task of capturing its soul to Avani.”

The second half of the Calendar sees Avani Rai taking her father’s original concept beyond the studio walls and into the streets of Old Delhi. Revisiting locations her father photographed throughout his long career, Rai’s cast of more than 200 people includes everyday citizens, dancers, street performers, artisans, musicians and her mother, Gurmeet Rai.

Reflecting on the creative process, Avani Rai explained:

“Initially, when my father conceived this project, the idea was to use his archival photographs as a backdrop and shoot everything in a studio. But when I decided to take over and continue the project, I felt it belonged in the streets. So I took his original idea into the places and among the people he had photographed throughout his life. I stand behind him, photographing him, his work and the reality that exists 30, 40 or 50 years later.“