The People Behind the Lens Who Shape What the World Sees
Published on: June 5, 2026
These are the women who make India proud.
We cheer loudly for our athletes, our entrepreneurs, our leaders. But there’s an entire universe of talent that works quietly and extraordinarily — frame by frame, event by event, year after year. The silent stars among us. The ones most of us don’t know. And it’s equally important that we do.
Think about every iconic sporting moment you remember. A last-minute goal. A champion’s tears. A stadium erupting. What made you feel it — really feel it — was almost certainly a photograph. One frame, frozen in time, that carried the weight of the entire moment. Behind that frame was a human being with a camera, a press credential, and years of craft. Someone who knew exactly where to stand, when to wait, and when to press the shutter. Someone whose name you will likely never know.
These are the people behind the lens. The ones who shape what the world sees, and therefore what the world remembers. They don’t take the field. They don’t lift the trophy. But without them, the story of the game is never fully told. In an age where content travels at the speed of a scroll and visual storytelling drives how the world processes its biggest moments, their work has never mattered more. And yet they remain, almost entirely, invisible.
Meet Gitika Talukdar
Credit: Dr. Kushal Sanghvi’s LinkedIn
She is the only Indian woman photojournalist accredited to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest sporting event in the world. And this is her third consecutive accreditation, after Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. Add the FIFA Women’s World Cups in France and Australia-New Zealand, the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and you realise this is not a moment. This is a career built with quiet, relentless dedication.
Detail Matters
She is from Assam. Born in Arunachal Pradesh, rooted in the Northeast. That detail matters. Because talent in this country doesn’t always arrive from the metros or follow the expected path. States like Assam create this kind of firepower consistently, and we don’t celebrate it nearly enough.
The Silent Heroes
Gitika is not an exception, but she is representative of an entire community of professionals who show up at the world’s biggest stages, do exceptional work, and return home largely uncelebrated. Silent stars whom most of us simply don’t know.
It’s time we did.
Here’s to Gitika Talukdar. Here’s to Assam. And here’s to every unsung storyteller shaping what the world sees.
Dr. Kushal Sanghvi is a seasoned marketing and media professional with over 24 years of experience across print, digital, television, OOH, and content. A founding member of Rediff.com, he has played a key role in shaping startups, revenue models, and brand strategies. Known for his creative thinking and leadership, he has pioneered initiatives like wireless and telephony revenue generation through shows like Indian Idol. He currently serves as Director at Komerz, and holds advisory roles at OAC & OAA and the Indian Influencer Governing Council, where he contributes to the growth of the content creator economy and integrated marketing strategies. A regular speaker and board member at industry forums, Dr. Sanghvi combines deep expertise in new media, technology, and integrated marketing to help businesses grow and adapt in an ever-evolving landscape. His specialties include negotiation, business acumen, team building, digital media intelligence, and brand-building across geographies in Asia and the US.
Neha started her journey as a financial professional but soon realized her passion for writing and is now living her dreams as a content writer. Her goal is to enlighten the audience on various topics through her writing and in-depth research. She is geeky and friendly. When not busy writing, she is spending time with her little one or travelling.
