Nitin JogAVINASH PASRICHA comes from a family of photographers. Born in 1936, he grew up in a studio. He was Photo Editor of SPAN magazine published by USIS in New Delhi from 1960 to 1997. Currently he does freelance photography.
Over the last 50 years, he has literally covered the whole range of photography from photojournalism, portraits, fashion, advertising, industry and architecture. He has specialized in performing arts photography since 1960.He has photographed any number of known personalities including musicians and dancers of the country. Today, he has the largest personal collection of pictures of Indian dance and music.
His photographs have appeared in any number of prestige publications in India and abroad, including Life and National Geographic magazines. They have also been published in books on India published by the Festival of India. Several of his photographs were used by the MEA in the Millennium Book on New Delhi. In 2000, he and his son Amit photographed the Supreme Court buildings for a coffee table book—“The Supreme Court 1950-2000”. In 2002 both collaborated in a book on the Rashtrapati Bhavan entitled “Dome Over India” and in 2005-6 in a book on the Raj Bhawan Nainital entitled “A Scottish Castle in Kumaon Highlands.” Amit is now famous for his panoramic work in a book entitled: Monumental India, The Sacred India Book and India At Home.
He has co-authored books on Indian dance–Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Sattriya with Dr.Sunil Kothari and one entitled “Rhythm in Joy” with dancer/writer Leela Samson. A large coffee table book “Indian Classical Dance: Tradition in Transition” co-authored with dance critic Leela Venkatraman was published by Roli Books and was widely acclaimed. He co-authored a book on Pandit Kumar Gandharva with writer/ critic Raghava Menon. Several of his dance pictures have been used in various publications, calendars and in advertising. Three picture pocket books on Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Guru Kelucharan. Plus seven small books co-authored with different dancers and edited by Alka Raghuvanshi were published by Wisdom Tree in 2004. A book on all styles of Indian classical dance co-authored with Sonal Mansingh, and one on Indian Classical Music co-authored with Debu Chaudhri was published last year in the Incredible India series.
He has had four exhibitions of his dance and music pictures in galleries and auditoriums in Delhi, Chennai, Patna, Varanasi and Toronto. Another photo exhibition for CanSupport was held at the
British Council in April 2001.
He has also made audio-visuals on music, dance and prominent performing artists like M. S. Subbulakshmi Begum Akhtar, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Shambhu
Maharaj, Vidushi Girija Devi, as well as on Odissi, Mohini Attam and Bharata Natyam. And, VSK Purab Ang Gataki Utsav 2011-12 and 2016 held in Delhi, Varanasi & Kolkata.
He has received Awards from many Dance/Music institutions including the Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad Award in 1988; The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Overall contribution in the field of Music & Dance in January 2018 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by NatyaVriksha in April 2018. And,
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award in Bhubhaneshwarm 2019.
