Ashwath Narayan clicked with stars
The Hindu
He is currently digitising his image bank of over three lakh photographs capturing actors and directors, from 1965 to 2000
Septuagenarian Ashwath Narayan may have retired as a cinema still photographer, but he remains a busy man. He has images that have captured, actors and directors from 1965 to 2000. “I have around three lakh images and am converting them and the negatives into a digital format,” says Ashwath, adding “This is my way of preserving their legacy.”
Ashwath credits his brother for instilling the passion for still photography in him. “He was running the Three Stars Studio in Madras then. It was dedicated to cinema photography. He invited me to take care of his studio as soon as I was done with my Class X exams. One day, a senior photographer did not turn up on set and I was sent to take his place.”
Ashwath later realised he was working on the sets of the Kannada film Belli Moda, which featured Kalpana, directed by Puttanna Kanagal.