Pirelli Calendar 2027 Celebrates India for the First Time with Dual-Lens Vision
For the first time in its 53-year history, the Pirelli Calendar moves to India for its 2027 edition, capturing the nation through a dual-lens artistic project spanning the streets of Old Delhi, Mumbai, and the Rajasthan landscape, ansa.it reported.
Two Photographers Shape the India Project
The 2027 edition breaks from tradition by employing two distinct artistic visions. Norwegian fashion photographer Solve Sundsbo captured portraits of nine prominent personalities within the lush nature and historic forts of Rajasthan, according to ilgiornaledivicenza.it. Sundsbo shot between May and September at locations including the Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and Ajabgarh in the State of Rajasthan, stating, For me, the key to the Calendar is the people
, and noting that the cast includes poets, musicians, architects, models, and actresses. Meanwhile, Avani Rai focused on the streets of Old Delhi and Mumbai, incorporating approximately 130 participants, ranging from local residents and skate youth to performers and cinema star Ranveer Singh.
Pirelli executive president Marco Tronchetti Provera noted that the calendar functions as an anticipated art object rather than a commercial promotional tool, explaining, The calendar year after year has become a highly anticipated art object, it does not have to sell anything, promote anything, it is there to express an artistic vision
. The project follows Pirelli’s announcement in New Delhi regarding an agreement with Indian firm BKT to manufacture 800,000 premium tires by 2030, an industrial milestone that coincides with the artistic production.
Challenging Cultural Stereotypes Through Art
Actress and producer Freida Pinto, featured in Sundsbo’s series, expressed pride in the project’s focus on India. Pinto stated that the work helps dismantle rigid stereotypes portraying Indian women as uniformly traditional, silent, and submissive. Pinto was launched in Danny Boyle’s cult film The Millionaire when she was just over twenty years old, and the cast also features musician and composer Anoushka Shankar alongside poet and performer Rupi Kaur, with Sundsbo’s portraits additionally including Padma Lakshmi and Aditi Rao Hydari.
Avani Rai integrated her contemporary street photography with archival images captured by her late father, master photographer Raghu Rai, who passed away in April shortly after accepting the commission. Avani returned to the exact locations of her father’s historical documentation to frame contemporary Indian life against past compositions, emphasizing the evolving social fabric of the country.
Project Includes Two Photo Sections and Netflix Series
The finished project is packaged as a distinct case containing two separate sections holding 18 photographs each—one by Sundsbo and one from the Rai project. Alongside the calendar’s rollout, participant Freida Pinto stars in the upcoming Netflix series Una nuova terra, scheduled for release on December 17.