14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Photographer Tejas Nerurkar's journey from cricket dreams to capturing cinema stars
Photographer Tejas Nerurkar's journey from aspiring cricketer to one of India's most sought-after celebrity photographers is nothing short of inspiring.
At 38, he's the man behind some of Bollywood's most iconic shots, but his story goes far beyond just the pictures. It's about pivoting, reinventing, and following his passion despite the odds.
A mate of cricketing legends such as Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, Tejas had dreams of donning the Indian jersey. But as life unfolded, he quickly realised that cricket was not his future.
A brief flirtation with an MBA led him nowhere, and animation, though interesting, didn't quite fit either. It was during a trek, armed with nothing but a handycam, that photography found him. Watching others with their digital cameras, Tejas decided he needed one too. That decision would change his life forever.
'Photography is my career now, but cricket was my first love — I dreamt of playing for my country. I bought my first camera, took a short course, and started shooting,' he recalls. 'It gave me confidence, but I still wasn't sure how to make it a career.' The turning point came when a friend asked him to shoot her actor portfolio. That one shoot launched his professional journey.
For Tejas, it's not about the fame or accolades, but about the quiet pride in his mother's and 93-year-old grandmother's eyes. 'My mother has witnessed all my career shifts, struggles, and moments of doubt. Every time I bounce back from a tough phase, the pride I see in her eyes means everything to me. Same goes for my granny.'
Rewinding his journey a bit, his first major experience in the film industry came when he shot actor Minissha Lamba for Maharashtra Times. That moment still holds a special place in his heart.
Today, Tejas's portfolio reads like a who's who of Indian cinema, having shot over 120 celebrities, including the likes of names such as actors Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Shraddha Kapoor, and others, and continues to shoot the brightest stars in the industry.
'Every shoot is memorable,' Tejas shares, 'I want to shoot with everyone, especially the new generation of actors. But there's one shoot that, sadly, will remain a dream with the late Sir Ratan Tata. He was on my list for a very long time. I tried hard to make it happen, but sometimes destiny has other plans. Other than that, I've been fortunate to tick off almost everyone I once dreamed of working with," he signs off.
