OT Where did you shoot the Kingfisher Calendar for 2019
Atul Kasbekar We went to Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean coast near Italy, to the south of Corsica. There are no direct flights to Sardinia from India, so you have to go to Italy and fly from Rome or Milan to get there.
OT Why did you pick Sardinia as a location How was the location
Kasbekar The really nice thing about doing this assignment is that they give carte blanch to choose locations. We wanted to be in a temperate climate as that makes it easier to shoot outdoor all day.
Interestingly, I have shot in a lot of islands and have noticed that there&rsquos a very typical island culture that happens in most places. The people are very indigenous and proud of their island such as in Seychelles, Maldives, for example. What&rsquos unique about Sardinia is that it is the depository of the original language used by Julius Caesar, and they are very proud of that fact.
Sardinia is also unique because it is one of the green zones, where people live long lives such as Okinawa in Japan. It has great salami and pecorino cheese. This is one of those zones.
OT Clearly your work takes you to a lot of places. What are your favourite destinations, and the most overrated ones as well
Kasbekar I think there have been a couple of really interesting destinations. I like anything that Europe has to offer, really. Croatia is a good place, especially the northern coast. You get peace and quiet there. I think Turkey is a must-visit, especially areas such as Bodrum and Cappadocia. The food in Turkey is phenomenal too&mdashit&rsquo a good thing not to be a vegetarian here. Another place I enjoyed going to a lot was Sweden a couple of years ago. It is very cutting edge, and you see many forms of industrial design there.
I would not recommend the Philippines because it is a pain to get to from India especially. I didn&rsquot have such a good time and find it overrated.
OT As a photographer, what are your favourite things to do while travelling
Kasbekar I strongly believe that if you are an artist then you need to be aware of all the arts out there. So if you are a photographer, you must be aware of cuisine, architecture, and design. I am not into clubbing so I definitely visit the museums, interesting restaurants. And shoot little slice-of-life things.
OT What is your go-to destination
Kasbekar I am usually in London once a year because I love that city & know it quite well. I usually go to one arsenal football game a year. I inevitably try and work my trip around a football game. I&rsquom not much of a mall crawler but there are fantastic restaurants in London. My experiences can be anything from a Michelin star restaurant to a shop on the corner that serves great fish and chips.
OT Where do you love to eat in Bombay
Kasbekar I&rsquom a big fan of those boys from Bombay Canteen so I am there a lot. And I think you get some really good Chinese in Royal China in town. And every once in a while there&rsquos a Wasabi [by Morimoto] craving&hellip
OT You&rsquove grown up in Bombay city&hellipWhich international city matches the frenzy and energy of Bombay
Kasbekar I&rsquod like it not to, but New York. I like it if you are visiting u can do it at your own pace, but if you are working there it is a crazy city, but. It still has the same pulse that Mumbai does.
OT Do you have any advice for photographers on vacation
Kasbekar I don&rsquot take as many pictures on holiday and I keep advising people that sometimes you should just savour the moment instead of recording it. In fact some of my best memories are in my head, and they are not necessarily on camera. I think people get too obsessed with it. Once in a while you should give yourself a bit of a detox.
