In memory of Raghu Rai: A legendary lens on Indira Gandhi and Emergency

This episode was originally published on September 29, 2022.

Some photographs don’t just capture a moment – they capture the soul of a nation. Raghu Rai spent decades doing exactly that. We have removed this episode of Back in Time with Kunal Kamra to honour his memory, and to share a conversation that feels as urgent and alive as ever.

Watch Raghu Rai in this deeply insightful interview where he discusses what it was like to capture Indira Gandhi’s essence from her first term to her last. He talks about her unique brand of politics and how she changed over the decades.

A turning point was the 1975 Allahabad High Court judgement that convicted Gandhi of electoral malpractices. “It was the beginning of a different Indira,” Raghu says.

He also talks about covering the JP movement, photographing Bhindranwale before Operation Blue Star, and how journalism has changed over the years.