Ajay Palkar
For me, life started making sense the day I decided to leave my comfort zone. I’ve always been an introvert, happiest with a good book. Back then, the library was my ticket to new worlds. But it was my love for vehicles—starting with my very first bicycle—that really got things rolling.
Cars soon took over my imagination, and that led me to choose engineering as a career. Working in the automotive field opened the door to years of travel, both within India and to places far off. Every trip changed me. At first, travel was just about new places and work. But slowly, it became my way to learn, grow, and break out of routine.
Travel pushed me. I had to solve problems, find my way, and sometimes ask strangers for help. I met people so different from me, yet somehow, we always found something in common. Getting to know their cultures made me more open, more patient, and a little kinder. Each journey left me with stories and new ideas.
Two individuals who have left an indelible impression on who I am today. A big part of this inspiration came from my father, Nandkumar Palkar. He served in the Navy and had seen much of the world. He’d tell me his stories, encourage me to write my own, and even gave me my first camera. That old camera made me fall in love with photography. I learnt fundamentals of photography from Ramesh Potnis, renowned fine artist and animator of his times. To this day, taking photos lets me see the world in small, beautiful moments.
Travel and photography have shaped who I am. For me, they aren’t just hobbies. They’re ways to understand life and myself a little better every day. Looking back, I’m grateful for every ride, every journey and every picture that made my world bigger.
My father, Nandkumar Palkar, who served in the Navy, was my greatest inspiration. His extensive travels sparked my own passion for exploration. He was a man of great intelligence, an avid reader, and a fountain of knowledge. He loved to write and carefully recorded his travel stories, encouraging me to cherish memories through reading and writing. He also gifted me my first mechanical camera, which ignited my lifelong love for photography.Through its lens, many of my favorite photos came to life. I am deeply grateful to my father, who recognized that talent in me and nurtured it.
A fine artist from the prestigious J. J. School of Art was a renowned animator of his times, with contemporaries like Ram Mohan and Bhimsen.
His keen eye for detail and passion for photography coupled with an innovative mind led to many creative techniques in advertising film art. He was widely appreciated for the pioneering work in visual effects by none other than the likes of Advertising Gurus like AlyquePadamsee, Sylvie DaCunha and Bharat Dabholkar.
His experiments with lighting and form created stunning imagery, which was an inspiration to budding artists.
What set him apart was his interest in knowledge sharing and nurturing talent who would carry forward the legacy of his art.
Click on the Camera for more details.
