Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, on Monday paid tribute to a renowned UAE photographer who helped to capture the rise of the nation.
Ramesh Shukla, who died on Sunday, compiled a treasure trove of historic moments that were key to the unification of the Emirates - including snapshots of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan signing the landmark agreement to form the UAE.
Mr Shukla, who was 87, arrived in the UAE by boat from Mumbai in 1965, and his life was changed forever by a chance meeting with Sheikh Zayed at the Sharjah Camel Festival.
This encounter set him on a remarkable career path in which he embraced the privilege and responsibility of documenting the UAE's early journey and the leaders who helped to shape it.
"Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ramesh Shukla, who captured the early journey of the UAE and preserved defining moments in our nation’s history and visual memory," Sheikh Hamdan wrote on X.
"He devoted six decades to the Emirates and its people with deep loyalty and love."
Life behind the lens
The acclaimed photographer's son, Neel Shukla, spoke to The National about the lasting impact of that first picture of Sheikh Zayed.
“There was a big camel race in 1968 where he got an incredible photo of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid sitting on the sand,” Mr Shukla told The National on Monday.
“He developed the picture in his makeshift lab and the next day, he gave the picture to Sheikh Zayed who asked him what he wanted. When my father said he only wanted Sheikh Zayed’s blessings, Sheikh Zayed said, ‘stay in my country.’ And from that day onward he was always by his side.”
Mr Shukla was the subject of a showcase at the Etihad Museum in 2019, entitled The Founding Father's Exhibition, in which many of his most striking photographs were on display.
Neel Shukla said his father’s favourite image was capturing Sheikh Zayed signing the document that formalised the formation of the UAE 55 years ago.
He said this was his father’s response when asked by the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed recently about his most treasured image during the opening of the Zayed National Museum.
“On that day, December 2, 1971, my father had multiple cameras with him. We have a whole treasure of that day from the time rulers arrived to the time they left – the entire timeline,” Neel Shukla told The National.
“My father always said when taking that picture his eyes were locked on Sheikh Zayed and on the pen signing the document. It was a very powerful moment and his most favourite. That picture is part of national history and is on the Dh50 UAE currency note.”
Legacy for UAE
Ramesh Shukla worked as a photographer with the Times of India when he came to the UAE. His passion for photography continued through to his last days when he was admitted to hospital last week following a heart attack.
“Until two days ago, he said he still had so much work to do in photography. He was truly in love with this nation and wanted to leave this as his legacy for the nation to be proud of and to enjoy,” Neel Shukla said.
“He would speak about focussing on people’s eyes, the rest was secondary. The camera was part of him, it was like a second organ. My father had an incredible eye, an incredible sense of light and focus – in his pictures you can see the grains on the kandura.”
Neel Shukla explained how recording the UAE’s history was a family project.
Ramesh Shukla’s wife Taru, 84, also played a vital role as she developed the negatives in the family’s one-room apartment in Dubai’s Naseer Square.
“He was the photographer and she was the dark room technician, they jointly made the pictures come to life,” Neel Shukla said. “He would pass on information about the light conditions, grain haziness and my mother would figure out the water temperature and the time needed for the negative to be developed. It was a marriage between the two that led to impeccable pictures.”
Ramesh Shukla is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.
His family said he would always be remembered for his dedication to work.
“He had a zest for life, a positive attitude, a curious energy,” Neel Shukla said. “My father always said, ‘Do what you love, give it 100 per cent and don’t think of outcome, everything will happen naturally.”
