EXCLUSIVE: Avinash Gowariker Recalls Photoshoot With Aamir Khan While He Was Filming Raja Hindustani; Reveals Karisma Kapoor Introducing Him To Salman Khan

Avinash Gowariker is a renowned photographer celebrated for his work in celebrity and advertising photography, particularly within the Bollywood industry. He started his career as an assistant director and has worked with Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone and others. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Avinash Gowariker revealed about his a photoshoot with Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor introduced him to Salman Khan.

Avinash Gowariker Reveals How He Shot Baazi With Aamir Khan

When asked about his first shoot for Baazi with Aamir Khan, Avinash Gowariker recalled, “Yes, at that time during Baazi, I was an assistant director, and I wanted to be a photographer. As I said, we worked hard, we learned how to work hard. That’s when I started assisting, and I was fortunate that Aamir gave me an opportunity, thanks to Ashu. I always say that both of them gave me the kind of opportunity most people don’t get. Aamir agreed to shoot with me.”

He added, “He said, ‘Okay, shoot.’ He was doing a shoot for a magazine, and Ashu had told him, ‘If you can, give him a chance.’ I said, ‘That’s great, Aamir. Thanks a lot! Where will you shoot?’ He said he didn’t have a studio. He was going to Mahabaleshwar for Raja Hindustani, and I told him, ‘I’ll come with you. We’ll shoot pictures on the highway.’ He liked the idea. I shot on the YC bridge, on the old Mumbai–Pune road. We kept shooting like that—very casually. Surprisingly, those pictures got published. That’s how I became a photographer.”

Avinash Gowariker Met Salman Khan Via Karisma Kapoor

Avinash met Karisma Kapoor, who introduced him to Salman Khan, he said, “While there, I met Lolo (Karisma Kapoor), because they were shooting Raja Hindustani. As luck would have it, she liked me and started working with me. She then introduced me to Salman. And as I always say in every interview: ‘If Salman Khan likes you, your life is set.’ He liked me—I was lucky. He started shooting with me, gave me so much work, and it’s just been great.”

Concluding, he said, “So I always say Aamir, Salman, and Ashu are the three pillars—the tripod—because of whom I got that push that not everyone gets. That’s why I never take credit. When you came and we were talking, that’s the reason I said—when people say, ‘You’ve done this,’ I respond, ‘No, I haven’t.’ I’m just lucky. I’ve had angels in my life who helped me at the right time. Now, when I look back calmly, I know it’s not easy to get opportunities. It’s also not easy to recognise them.”

He further added, “Spotting an opportunity is hard. So I will take credit for that, for spotting them. I was getting to that point, because it’s not always obvious. Sometimes you don’t even realise an opportunity is in front of you. You get lazy. So I will take credit for being a hardworking guy who spotted opportunities, jumped on them, and snatched them. I did that. But yes, those angels were there.”

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