‘Still photography is my life-line, camera-- my companion’, ‘late’ B K Tambe-jee would say! Heartfelt tribute to popular senior-most lensman by Chaitanya Padukone

For over 41 years senior-most popular press still photographer B K Tambe who passed away on Wednesday mid-night shared a personal bonding with almost all the legendary senior actors (like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Dev Anand, Rekha, Rishi Kapoor)  and even next generation younger top-stars (like Salman Khan, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt)

Sentimental and emotional by nature, Baburao K. Tambe was impulsive, outspoken, and sometimes short-tempered. But he endeared himself to the news media and to top-showbiz celebs. That’s because he had no false ego and was always modest and helpful. Despite the fact that he was quite close to superstar Amitabh Bachchan-sahab and his family. The enterprising Tambe-jee had access-entry to their Jalsa bungalow, of course, after getting the necessary main-gate security squad official clearance.  

Interestingly,  the iconic legend Senior Bachchan-saab attended the austere, simple yet star-studded wedding receptions of each of sentimental Tambe-jee three children Anita, Anil and Sunil.

 A very hardworking man who rose from a humble, naive shoe-shine boy and also a restaurant-table-service boy at a restaurant went ahead to acquire the skills of photography at Dingoo Photo Studio at Gowalia Tank (central Mumbai) Unable to continue his higher school studies, he would often say 'life itself is my practical classroom'.. A man with great energy and enthusiasm Tambe had the resilience power to face hardships, adverse situations. and personal tragedies.  Grateful by nature, Tambe would humbly appreciate whatever financial assistance was given to him time-to-time by so many well-wishers. Tambe would also always appreciate the assistance and support given by benevolent Delhi-based Publisher and Editor Shri P K Bajaj ( of Mayapuri and bollyy.com)

‘Still photography is my life-line, camera is my companion’, ‘late’ B K Tambe-jee would often say!

.Always omnipresent to cover almost all Bollywood filmy muhurats-birthday. parties, launches and celebration events, especially during the early '80s right upto 2020., Tambe preferred to click posed pictures, but I kept guiding him to also take candid photos, which are more appreciated

Not just film events. Tambe used to attend events organized by the Mumbai Police Force and had good personal contacts with senior police officers and commissioners. Interestingly, he personally knew Mumbai ACP Madhukar Zende, who had managed to trap and arrest elusive international criminal Charles Sobhraj. All the invited guests were pleasantly startled when the then Mumbai Police Commissioner, Mr S Ramamurthi, attended Tambe’s daughter Anita’s wedding reception in the early '90s in  Bandra.  Even BJP MP-Minister Ashish Shelar would attend Tambe’s wedding events.

During heavy rains and floods,  the tenacious Tambe ji used to come personally to deliver hard copies of amazing pictures of events and stars clicked by him. Which I would regularly publish along with my articles/ columns in the Mid-Day daily newspaper (Mumbai).

We will all miss B.K. Tambe. Our heartfelt condolences to his bereaved Tambe family. Om Shanti!