Kulwant Roy Biography 
Kulwant Roy was an Indian photographer best known for his classic works during Indian independence movement and the early years of the Republic of India. Remarkable pictures of Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah, Lord Mountbatten and other Indian history makers brought him to limelight. His photos shot in black and white film, mostly associated with Indian history earned him praises a lot. He headed an agency named "Associated Press Photographs”, during his life time. Roy lived during the period, 1914-1984.
Kulwant Roy was born in 1914 in Village Bagli Kalan, District Ludhiana of Punjab. Roy grew up in Lahore before joining the Royal Indian Air Force. He specialised in aerial photography, during his tenure with Air Force. Later he returned to Lahore, but moved to Delhi in 1940, where he had a new career beginning as a professional photographer. His set up his own studio, which was later expanded into a full-fledged agency in Old Delhi. He followed Mahatma Gandhi for his extensive tours across India, and captured some of the most memorable moments, both formal and informal of this great leader.
He travelled with Gandhi in a third class compartment for all his tours, and was permitted to record many crucial events associated with freedom struggle movement. Jinnah arguing with Gandhi in a heated conversation is one among his masterpieces and rare works. This work was well appreciated, and most recently credited to Roy. After independence, Roy continued to photograph Nehru in particular, and also Gandhi-Nehru family. He was one of the first photographers to document the trek by pilgrims to the cave at Amarnath in Kashmir in the 1950s.
In 1958, he set off with an international tour which lasted for three years. He travelled more than 30 countries and took photographs as well. He mailed the negatives to his office in India. When he returned in 1961, all of them have been stolen. He unsuccessfully searched his negatives in garbage for some time. He died in New Delhi in 1984 due to cancer. He left his surviving photographic negatives and archives to his nephew.
Published: November 07, 2018
Updated: November 07, 2018
