“I believe that photography can change the world.”
• Mahesh Bhat
Mahesh Bhat is a Bangalore-based documentary photographer, filmmaker, independent publisher and educator who has been photographing India for about 35 years. His work has been commissioned by publications from over 30 countries, including The New York Times, and he is represented by Getty Assignments and AP. His books include UNSUNG and Bengaluru/Bangalore in First Person Singular.
Many people photograph Bangalore. Few have done it long enough to show you the ITPL site before it was built. This profile keeps to the documented record.
Quick Information
He has been pointing a lens at Bangalore since before the flyovers, and he still has opinions about what the city could be.
Who Is Mahesh Bhat?
Mahesh Bhat is a documentary and corporate photographer based in Bangalore whose work sits where society, culture, economics, politics and environment meet. His corporate clients have included IIM Bangalore, Brigade Group, Mindtree and Bosch.
What Is UNSUNG?
UNSUNG is his first self-published book, about ordinary people doing extraordinary work. It sold about 6,500 copies and helped raise about Rs 9 million for the causes of the people featured.
What Is Bengaluru/Bangalore in First Person Singular?
It is his 2012 photo book on how the city has changed and what has stayed constant, framed as a plea to support arts and creativity in Bangalore's growth. He describes it as being about what the city can be.
“It is not about the old versus the new, nor is it about the city's history.”
• Mahesh Bhat, on his Bangalore book
What Else Has Mahesh Bhat Photographed in Bangalore?
He has documented the fight to save the Hesaraghatta grasslands from real estate, and his early Karnataka work includes images of Bangalore before the boom, with ITPL still under construction.
- Karnataka 1989 and 1997 books
- Bangalore Scenes From an Indian City, 1994
- UNSUNG 2007
- First Person Singular 2012
- Hesaraghatta Ongoing documentation
In 1989 he photographed U R Ananthamurthy in a Bangalore hotel room where the writer spent a week on the essay Growing Up in Karnataka.
Why Does Mahesh Bhat Belong in People of Bangalore?
He has lived and worked in Bangalore for decades and made two books about the city itself.
FAQs
Who is Mahesh Bhat?
A Bangalore-based documentary photographer, educator and independent publisher.
What books has Mahesh Bhat published?
Karnataka, UNSUNG and Bengaluru/Bangalore in First Person Singular, among others.
Does Mahesh Bhat teach photography?
Yes. He has taught at Srishti and The One School Goa and runs workshops in Bangalore.
Own a Copy of UNSUNG?
Tell me which story in it stayed with you. Click the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right of your screen and tell me. That is also the easiest way to reach The City 24/7 about anything at all, including nominating someone for People of Bangalore.
And if you want one story about the people who make this city, every Sunday, join our ever growing community at thecity247.kit.com/join-the-community. Free, and about ten seconds of your life.
Same city, new stories, always.
Related Stories
PHOTOGRAPHY
Mohan Thomas: The Bangalore Builder Who Waited 12 Years for His First Tiger
September 24, 2026
PHOTOGRAPHY
Amoghavarsha: Filming Karnataka's Wild Places
September 23, 2026
CINEMA
Anushka Sharma: The Mount Carmel Girl Who Left Bangalore for Bollywood
September 24, 2026
ARCHITECTURE
B V Doshi: The Pritzker Winner Who Gave Bangalore IIMB's Stone Corridors
September 24, 2026
LITERATURE
Lavanya Sankaran: The Novelist Who Put Bangalore's Boom on the Page
September 24, 2026
MEDICINE
Dr Ravindra Mehta: The Bengaluru Lung Doctor Behind Karnataka's First IP Programme
September 24, 2026
