Entrepreneur Sudhir Kasliwal

A REAL Gem at Gem Palace. A story captured behind the lens. A healthy dose of inspiration of a person who chose to take off the beaten track.

A name well known in Rajasthan belongs to the fifth generation of the royal jewellers, who developed the jewellery industry in the Pink City. Apart from Jewellery, he is passionate about Photography and Vintage cars.
His inclination for photography started at a very tender age when he unwrapped his first camera on his tenth birthday. This then turned into a passion while he was studying in the 7th standard.

The Principal happened to see one of the photos clicked by him. Impressed by his photography he was assigned the job of chief photo editor of the school magazine.

At the age of 14, Sudhir developed his own darkroom and worked for hours, not realising when nights turned into mornings while developing his captured clicks. Sudhir has devotedly honed his lens over the past 30 years as he never misses a chance to capture every moment.
Sudhir has captured the vibrant colours of Rajasthan, be it legends, landscapes, heritage, forts, monuments, or architecture.  He beautifully captures the grace inherent in rural Rajasthan’s rustic mundane, its seasonal fairs and festivals, smiling faces of the locals as they harmonize diverse strands of the cultural fabric.
“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.”
He believes, to capture the beauty of anything, you first need to understand it and feel it.

He left big dignitaries mesmerised by his photography.
U.S. President Bill Clinton was fascinated by Sudhir’s photography. Sudhir was then commissioned by the Government of Rajasthan to shoot Aerial pictures of Jaipur for a special brochure to be presented to visiting state dignitary, U.S. President Bill Clinton. Fascinated by his photographs, President Clinton took along lifelong memories of Jaipur’s beauty with him through those breathtaking Ariel views.

This is how the beauty of Jaipur was sold to him.

 

Having internationalised Rajasthan via his lens, Sudhir was awarded the Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh Award for Excellence in Photography by Maharaja S. Mansingh II Museum Trust, City Palace, Jaipur in October 2014. Sudhir’s photographs have received international recognition and have appeared regularly in leading journals all over the world.

His eyes sparkle while sharing the memories of the most beautiful women of the world, Maharani Gayatri Devi whose beauty was captured by him on various occasions.

She travelled to Spain just to inaugurate his international exhibition. She had words of praise for his shoots and admired his unique style of photography and the way he brings life to everything he captures. She eloquently said to him, “You just don’t take photographs but make them.”
In 2009 Jaipur Jewellery Show JJS, Kasliwal won accolades for curating an exhibition of 255 rare and exquisite photographs of Maharani Gayatri Devi which attracted the visitors more than Diamonds, Rubies and Sapphires.

No photography workshop, competition judging, or photography-related events are complete without his guidance. He is a beloved of students at photography workshops.
From black and white to coloured, he has covered all the facets of life through his lens over a period of 30 years. He gets a kick in doing it and it gives him immense satisfaction.

Sudhir, a Renaissance man, knows what he believes and what he wants.
He also speaks about his love for Vintage cars. In 1990, he bought his first Vintage car and now has a fleet of cars well-maintained and parked in his campus. He is a proud owner of 12 vintage cars which include Mercedes, classic Jaguar, Cadillac, Daimler, Austin, Humber belonging to different Royal Families. His collection includes 1968 model White Mercedes belonging to late Gayatri Devi.

This car has lured many visitors in Vintage and Classic car rally and has also won an Award.

He is also behind organizing Jaipur’s most elite event Vintage Car And Classic Rally, which has grown bigger over the years. This event has been dedicated to the late Rajmata because of her fondness for car rallies.

He has a long list of visitors to GEM PALACE , since the time of Maharajas, Queen Elizabeth 11, President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jackie Kennedy, Late Princess Diana, Hillary Clinton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Opra Winfrey, Judy Dench, Nicole Kidman, Goldie Hawn, Mick Jager, Prince Charles, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and the list goes long.

He is a multifaceted man who inspires you to follow your passions with dedication while remaining humble and connected to your roots.