Rajanish Kakade, AP photographer who captured the daily rhythm of India’s Mumbai, dies at 55

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NEW DELHI (AP) — Rajanish Kakade, an Associated Press photographer whose images documented India ’s politics, culture and everyday hustle and bustle of the city of Mumbai for nearly two decades, has died. He was 55.

Kakade died at his home in Mumbai on Monday following an illness, his family said.

He joined the AP in 2008 and was based in Mumbai, from where he helped shape the visual record of India's financial capital. Before joining the AP, he worked with the Sakal Group media conglomerate and the Hindustan Times newspaper.

“Through his work, he captured defining moments with integrity and sensitivity. Through his mentorship, he shaped countless careers, always encouraging young photographers to pursue the truth with courage and compassion,” the Mumbai Press Club said in a statement.

A third-generation photographer, Kakade followed his grandfather and father, both of whom were photojournalists.

At the AP, Kakade covered a wide range of assignments across India — from major political events, elections and sports to the deadly 2008 Mumbai militant attacks and the coronavirus pandemic. His images of ordinary life in Mumbai captured the rhythm of a rapidly evolving city, conveying both its vast scale and quiet intimacy.

AP colleagues described Kakade as a soft-spoken professional who was deeply committed to his craft.

Manish Swarup, AP’s chief photographer for South Asia, said Kakade “possessed that rare, quiet grace of a true observer.”

"He didn’t just take pictures; he earned the trust of those in his frame. That is why his photographs always stand out — they carry an intimacy and a truth that only a person of his character could capture," Swarup said.

Swarup, who worked closely with Kakade for many years, said he was “more than a talented eye for The Associated Press,” describing him as “a steadfast friend and a cherished colleague.”

“We haven’t just lost a great photojournalist; we have lost a beautiful soul, whose kindness was as luminous as his work,” he said.

Yirmiyan Arthur, who oversees photos and storytelling for the AP in the Asia Pacific region, said Kakade “helped us understand everyday Mumbai, a city of contradictions, with utter honesty," by chronicling its wealth and poverty, the joys and the heartbreaks of annual monsoons, and life inside its always hustling local trains.

“He was a son of Mumbai and made sure he told its story the right way,” said Arthur.

Kakade is survived by family members.