Filmmaker Beenu Rajpoot Strikes Gold with PSA Photography Medal

Beenu Rajpoot, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and deep researcher with a career spanning fifteen years, has been awarded the Gold Medal in Photography by the Photographic Society of America (PSA). Rajpoot is the editor of Wings of Vision magazine and is renowned for promoting Indian art, culture, literature, and health through her films and other platforms. Her documentaries are known for their emotional impact and their ability to inspire societal change. In addition to her filmmaking, Rajpoot is a prolific author, having written numerous books on photography and filmmaking, as well as various articles and journals for institutes and newspapers.

Rajpoot, who is also a "Fit India Champion" and launched the Fit India Movement at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), shared her passion for photography in a recent interview. She said, "Photography has been my childhood passion. I used to observe the composition of every picture around me and it fascinated me a lot. I believe that each picture has its own story and expresses its own emotions and due to that I have always been madly in love with photography."

She credits her mentor, Shri OP Sharma, a master in photography, for her development in the field. Under his guidance, she completed her diploma in photography. O.P. Sharma, a pictorialist photographer best known for his studio portraiture, is the founder of the Indian International Photographic Council (IIPC) and was instrumental in recognizing August 19 as World Photography Day, a campaign he initiated in 1991. He often spoke of India's rich diversity and beauty, saying, "India, with its idyllic beauty of nature, is a photographer's paradise. High mountains, mighty rivers,

enchanting landscapes, monsoon rains, glorious sunrises, and resplendent sunsets are all present. Indian life is so diverse and varied that from dawn to dusk and on to night, there is so much to capture on the light-sensitive plate or film of the camera—costumes, crowds, bazaars, rituals, facial expressions, feminine beauty, and myriad activities concerning the daily life of a people with a composite culture."

Expressing her gratitude, Rajpoot said, "I am pleased that I won the gold medal from the world's most renowned photographic society, 'The Photographic Society of America (PSA),' which was founded in 1934 and is a worldwide organization providing abundant resources for photographers, from novices to professionals. I dedicate this award to my Guru Shri O.P. Sharma."

Despite her busy shooting schedule, Rajpoot has continued to pursue her passion for photography. "Up until now, my pictures have won numerous awards. I covered many fairs, tribes, and communities around the world. As I transitioned into documentary films, photography took a back seat for a while but now I am learning to balance my passion with my busy schedule," she said.