Pirelli Calendar 2027 Brings India's History and Modern Identity into Focus
The 2027 Pirelli Calendar was unveiled in New Delhi on October 23, 2026, presenting a photographic exploration of India's history, cultural diversity and contemporary transformation. The 53rd edition brings together Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø, the late Indian photographer Raghu Rai and his daughter Avani Rai in a project that connects different generations and perspectives.
For the first time in the calendar's history, India is the central subject of the entire edition. The project explores a country where historical traditions, changing cities, artistic expression and modern lifestyles exist alongside one another.
Three Photographic Perspectives
The calendar combines Sundsbø's contemporary portraiture with the photographic vision of Raghu Rai, whose work documented India for more than six decades. Avani Rai continued her father's contribution after his death in April 2026, preserving his original intention while introducing her own perspective.
The collaboration offers different ways of understanding India. Sundsbø focuses on individual personalities and portraits, while the work developed by Raghu and Avani Rai connects archival photography with the people and places that continue to shape the country.
Rather than presenting a single definition of Indian identity, the calendar brings together images reflecting the country's complexity, diversity and ongoing transformation.
Avani Rai Continues Her Father's Vision
Raghu Rai began photographing India in 1965 and built an extensive archive documenting its people, public life, streets and changing urban landscapes. His contribution to the calendar was intended to connect images from his archive with contemporary India.
After his death, Avani Rai chose to continue the project by taking her father's photographs back to the streets and locations associated with them, particularly in Delhi and Mumbai.
Her approach places historical photographs alongside the present-day surroundings in which they were originally created. The original images remain intact while the new compositions reveal how people, buildings and everyday life have changed over the decades.
This method gives the project a personal dimension, allowing the relationship between father and daughter to become part of a wider story about memory, photography and India's evolution.
Sølve Sundsbø Focuses on Contemporary Indian Women
Sundsbø contributes a series of portraits featuring nine women with connections to India. The photographs were created around Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and Ajabgarh in Rajasthan.
The featured personalities include actresses Aditi Rao Hydari and Avantika Vandanapu, actress and producer Freida Pinto, musician Anoushka Shankar, poet Rupi Kaur, models Lakshmi Menon and Bhavitha Mandava, author and presenter Padma Lakshmi, and Avani Rai.
The portraits explore individual identities through colour, clothing, landscapes and visual composition. Sundsbø's approach focuses on the personalities of the women rather than expecting any one individual to represent the whole country.
A Calendar Connecting Past and Present
The 2027 edition contains 36 photographs, with 18 images by Sundsbø and 18 from the Raghu and Avani Rai project. Presented as a boxed edition with two separate sections, it brings together distinct visual approaches within a single publication.
The photographs move between the streets of Old Delhi, the contemporary environment of Mumbai and the landscapes of Rajasthan. These settings provide a visual connection between India's historical memories and its present-day cultural expression.
Why the 2027 Edition Matters
The Pirelli Calendar has long been recognised for its collaborations with internationally known photographers and its distinctive artistic direction. The 2027 edition stands out for placing India at the centre of the project and bringing together three photographic perspectives.
The collaboration also honours Raghu Rai's contribution to Indian photography while allowing Avani Rai to carry his unfinished vision into the present.
By combining contemporary portraiture, archival imagery and scenes of everyday life, the calendar presents India as a country shaped by history but continually changing. Its central idea is that India's identity cannot be captured through a single image or perspective, but emerges through the many people, places and experiences that define it.
