Renowned photojournalist T.S. Satyan (85), one of the earliest Indians to take to photojournalism, passed away in the city on Sunday, five days short of his 86th birthday. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Family sources said Satyan returned from Bangalore on Saturday and complained of uneasiness at night following which he was shifted to a private hospital where it was established that he had suffered brain haemorrhage. However, he did not respond to treatment and breathed his last at 2.30 p.m.
Satyan was born on December 18, 1923 in Mysore, and completed his education in the city. He studied at Banumaiah's High School and later attended the Maharaja's College to complete his graduation. Even as a student, he displayed an interest in cameras, a novelty in those days. But Satyan invested time and money in pursuing his hobby and entered the world of photography as a full-time professional in what was a voyage across an uncharted sea in the early days of photojournalism in India.
He worked as a staff photographer for Deccan Herald in 1948 and joined the Illustrated Weekly of India in 1950.
However, Satyan was to make his mark as an outstanding photographer chronicling events that shaped the country's history like the Liberation of Goa in 1951 and working on assignments for Time and Life and other international agencies including the UNICEF.
Satyan had great love for children and a photo exhibition titled 'Little People' was held at the U.N. Headquarters in New York.
In recognition of his contribution, Satyan was awarded the Padma Shri by the government, and the University of Mysore conferred on him an honorary doctorate in 2004.
Satyan is reckoned to be among the last of the "golden generation" produced by Mysore that included the likes of litterateur R.K. Narayan, renowned scholar C.D. Narasimhaiah, sociologist M.N. Srinivas, yoga maestro Pattabhi Jois, and H.Y. Sharada Prasad, adviser to the Prime Minister.
