We live in a country where a photo-shoot with bikini clad models still needs to be high on art to not be dubbed inappropriate. But that is precisely where the genius of fashion photographers comes into play and makes bikini calendars look sensual without being termed inappropriate by the overzealous moral police. In the Indian fashion industry, Atul Kasbekar is the undisputed king of the artsy and sensual bikini calendars and the man behind the exclusive Kingfisher Calendar is known for making the annual compilation the perfect epitome of the beauty of Indian models.
For the 2013 edition, the shoot for the calendar headed to the exotic locales of South Africa where the charming Cape Town and the savage beauty of the jungles of Kruger brought the shots to life. Sure the calendar shoot did feature some of the prettiest and most sought after beauties the Indian fashion industry has but Kasbekar recons the calendar allows fresh talent to make a place for themselves in the fiercely competitive industry.
The swimwear focused calendar for this year sees Kasbekar shoot beauties like Kanishtha Dhankar who is the Pantaloons Miss India 2011 along with a whole host of Indian and international models including Nevena Pejatovic, the Serbian model who won the ‘Hunt for the Kingfisher Calendar Girl 2013′. Since bikinis and swimwear aren’t a huge part of resort wear for Indian women, the calendar needs to highlight the location as much as the outfits.
The 47-year-old photographer claims that models who excel in this business are the ones who work out hard and eat well and have a proportionate athletic body to match quirky looks and an interesting face. For him, the calendar is about celebrating the sexuality of Indian women along with their sensuality though the audience’s preference for the latter has dictated the aesthetics of the Kingfisher shoots so far.