# Pirelli Calendar 2027 dives into the soul of India through an unprecedented triple gaze and a moving tribute

Officially unveiled in New Delhi, the 53rd edition of the iconic "The Cal" brings together 36 photographs split between two contrasting visions: the vibrant intimacy of the streets captured by the late Raghu Rai and his daughter Avani, and the dreamlike aesthetic of Norway's Sølve Sundsbø.

- Section: Arts & Culture
- Published: November 4, 2026
- Address: https://ceoone.com.br/en/article/pirelli-calendar-2027-dives-into-the-soul-of-india-through-a-triple-gaze
- Em português: https://ceoone.com.br/artigo/calendario-pirelli-2027-mergulha-na-alma-da-india-sob-olhar-triplo-ine.md

![Photographer Sølve Sundsbø, camera in hand, in a room at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur, with carved stone lattice windows](https://pub-b80e49b2737940b3ab5d3f20d0578192.r2.dev/artigos/calendario-pirelli-2027-mergulha-na-alma-da-india-sob-olhar-triplo-ine-solve.webp)

Photo: Courtesy of Pirelli

## Key points

- The 53rd Pirelli Calendar, unveiled in New Delhi, has 36 photographs and, for the first time, three photographers: Raghu Rai, his daughter Avani Rai and Norway's Sølve Sundsbø.
- After Raghu Rai's death in April at 83, Avani finished her father's work, placing his old photographs against today's streets and young people in New Delhi and Mumbai.
- Sundsbø portrayed nine women tied to India, such as Freida Pinto, Rupi Kaur, Anoushka Shankar and Padma Lakshmi; the calendar comes in a two-wing case, with no count of days.

The Pirelli Calendar 2027 marks a historic chapter in the publication launched in the 1960s by the Italian tyre maker. Presented at the classic The Imperial hotel in New Delhi, the project puts India at the centre of an edition that, for the first time in the calendar's history, brings together three distinct photographic signatures in a deep dialogue between tradition, contemporaneity and family legacies.

The work, originally conceived as a collaboration between the legendary Indian portraitist Raghu Rai (known as the "god of photography" in his country) and the renowned Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø, went through a poetic and painful turning point. With Raghu Rai's death in April 2026 at the age of 83, his daughter, filmmaker and photographer Avani Rai, took on the mission of completing her father's work. Avani took a bold conceptual proposal into the field: she placed printed reproductions of historic images taken by her father over the past six decades against today's settings and young people of New Delhi and Mumbai, stitching together visual memories and the urban energy of the new generation.

![A photographer shoots turbaned men seated on an Old Delhi street, with old Raghu Rai photographs in the background](https://pub-b80e49b2737940b3ab5d3f20d0578192.r2.dev/artigos/calendario-pirelli-2027-mergulha-na-alma-da-india-sob-olhar-triplo-ine-avani.webp)

Behind the scenes of Avani Rai's shoot in Old Delhi. Photo: Courtesy of Pirelli

Meanwhile, Sølve Sundsbø contributed the view of the outside observer fascinated by local contrasts. The Norwegian signs essays that capture the aesthetic and cultural strength of nine women with deep ties to India. His lens features globally known names such as actresses Freida Pinto, Aditi Rao Hydari and Avantika Vandanapu, poet and novelist Rupi Kaur, musician Anoushka Shankar, television host and author Padma Lakshmi, supermodel Lakshmi Menon and model Bhavitha Mandava, as well as Avani Rai herself.

![A model in a white dress in front of a wall painted red and yellow, with a hand holding a bowl of pigment in the foreground](https://pub-b80e49b2737940b3ab5d3f20d0578192.r2.dev/artigos/calendario-pirelli-2027-mergulha-na-alma-da-india-sob-olhar-triplo-ine-cores.webp)

Behind the scenes of Sølve Sundsbø's shoot. Photo: Courtesy of Pirelli

Produced between May and September 2026, the Pirelli Calendar 2027 moves away from the traditional utilitarian format to establish itself as a true art object. The publication comes in a special case structured in two wings, or independent compartments: on one side, 18 images devoted to the documentary and poetic vision of Raghu and Avani Rai; on the other, 18 conceptual portraits by Sølve Sundsbø. The pages do away with the traditional count of days to create a continuous flow of stretched time.

![A crew films a model in a yellow dress in a boat on a lake surrounded by hills, with smoke over the water](https://pub-b80e49b2737940b3ab5d3f20d0578192.r2.dev/artigos/calendario-pirelli-2027-mergulha-na-alma-da-india-sob-olhar-triplo-ine-lago.webp)

Shooting on a lake in Rajasthan. Photo: Courtesy of Pirelli

According to Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman of Pirelli, the edition reaffirms the complete creative freedom granted to artists since the calendar was created, keeping the celebration of femininity, respect and cultural diversity without resorting to synthetic shortcuts. By crossing the documentary rawness of India's streets with the sophistication of high fashion and conceptual art, "The Cal 2027" stands as a lasting tribute to the complexity of a nation where past and future coexist in the same frame.

## Sources and editorial notes

- Reference report: Folha de S.Paulo (report by Silas Martí under the title "Fotógrafos do calendário Pirelli mergulham na história da Índia e tentam flagrar a beleza no caos", published in the Ilustrada section on October 31, 2026).
- International coverage and arts and business outlets: Forbes India ("Beyond the beautiful: Pirelli Calendar 2027" by Madhu Kapparath); Domus Magazine ("2027 Pirelli Calendar: The Cal tells the story of India's two souls"); Exame Casual ("Calendário Pirelli 2027 retrata a Índia pelas lentes de três fotógrafos"); The President and Times Now.
- Official statements: Marco Tronchetti Provera (executive vice chairman of Pirelli), Avani Rai (photographer and director), Sølve Sundsbø (photographer), Aditi Rao Hydari (actress) and Padma Lakshmi (host and author).

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