The IPF Portrait Prize 2025 just dropped its winning images, and trust me—these portraits hit with the kind of energy that stops you mid-scroll. 20 Incredible Winning Photos from the IPF Portrait Prize 2025 isn’t just a gallery; it’s a full-blown celebration of identity, culture, emotion, and everything that makes portrait photography one of the most powerful art forms out there.
The Indian Photo Festival’s Portrait Prize has become one of the hottest platforms for photographers across the Indian subcontinent. Portraiture has always carried weight in the photography world—from those classic studio portraits your grandparents posed for, to raw, modern-day explorations of who we are and how we show up. And this year’s winners? They go way beyond a simple face in a frame. These photographers captured soul, struggle, joy, roots, rebellion—real stories that stay with you.
What makes this award so special is the way it lifts both rising talents and seasoned pros, giving them space to share their vision with the world. These images spark conversations about identity, culture, diversity, and representation—topics that matter now more than ever. And honestly, the storytelling in these frames is unmatched. You can feel the heartbeat of entire communities in some shots, while others zoom in on intimate moments that feel almost sacred.
Huge shoutout to this year’s judge, Kiran Karnani, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Harlowe, for leading the selection of these unforgettable portraits.
All 20 winning images will be showcased at the Indian Photo Festival from November 20th, 2025, to January 4th, 2026, at the State Art Gallery in Hyderabad. If you’re anywhere near the city, this is one exhibition you don’t wanna miss.
You can find more info:
#1. Winner: "In Trance" by Suresh Naganathan
"A devotee gets into a trance during a Mariamman festival in the outskirts of Mumbai (May 2025)."
#2. 2nd Prize: "Bird’s Eye" by Jan Mohammad
"Badsha Mohammad is a village boy who finds his greatest joy and peace in caring for birds, treating them not just as pets but as true companions who shape his daily life. From feeding them every morning to ensuring their safety every night, he has created a world built on simple kindness, where love is expressed through his gentle devotion to the birds that have become his family."
#3. 3rd Prize: "Innocence Amid Devotion" by Saurabh Chatterjee
"During the observance of Muharram by the Shia community in Hyderabad, a child looks on as devotees participate in self-flagellation rituals. The moment captures how deeply ingrained religious customs are introduced to the next generation."
Finalists
#4. "Tranquility Amidst Chaos" by Vivek Kalla
"Calm faces in the middle of a crowded festival, finding peace through devotion."
#5. "The Eyes of Fury" by Sannidh Raychaudhuri
"Sohail from Ghoramara Island burns with silent rage — a reflection of a vanishing world. When I first approached him, anger clouded his face, but soon it unfolded into a story of loss. As a child, he was forced to give up his school and friends to support his father in fishing, just to escape hunger. Ghoramara, his home, is now only 4–5 kilometers of land — the rest consumed by the sea. With no doctors, no hospitals, no electricity, and no steady work, survival itself feels like defiance. In Sohail’s eyes lives the fury of an island being erased, and of a boy who was never allowed to dream."
#6. "Shepherd and the snowstorm" by Sangram Biswas
"A heavy snowstorm marks the beginning of Chillai Kalan, the harsh winter period in Kashmir. In the heart of the storm, a shepherd leads his flock toward safety, toward survival. Aru, Kashmir, 2022."
#7. "Born of the Earth" by Sajeev J K
"A wrestler coats himself in sand before stepping into the pit, an age-old ritual of grounding and strength. In that brief moment, man and soil become one, tied together by the discipline, humility, and enduring spirit of Kolhapur’s wrestling tradition."
#8. "The Himalayan Joy" by Ratheesh Sundaram
"Young monks from the historic Tawang Monastery share a radiant smile, embodying the spirit and hopeful future of Tibetan Buddhism in the high Himalayas. ( -Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh)"
#9. "Divine Trance" by Priyanshu Singh
"The celebration of Chita Bhasm ki Holi (pyre ash Holi) unfolds at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi’s epicenter of life and death. The air is thick with the scent of burning pyres, the smoke curling into the sky like a reminder of the fragile line between existence and oblivion. Amid this chaos, I watch the deity, draped in feral tiger skin and adorned with a mundmala (garland of skulls), revel in the ‘last color of life’, the ash. High on bhang (cannabis), he seems untouched by the world, lost in a state of raw, uninhibited ecstasy. Standing there, I feel consumed by the same enigmatic energy, a force so overwhelming that I couldn’t help but lift my camera and capture it."
#10. "Lost childhood" by Mona Singh
"At first glance it looked like a scene of play..children laughing and running with masks in their hands as if caught in a moment of joy. But as I watched at the busy traffic light the illusion began to crumble. These children weren’t playing. They were selling. The masks weren’t toys. They were survival. Their eyes held no mischief only urgency, hope and hunger. They ran from car to car faces half covered, childhood hidden behind the weight of necessity. It was a stark reminder of how easily we mistake struggle for innocence. How a world that looks the other way allows childhoods to slip through the cracks of survival."
#11. "Masked Traditions" by Maya Mohan
"This image was captured in the heart of Kulasai Dasara, a festival where the mundane gave way to mystical, and the ordinary became extraordinary. Here an enigmatic figure, adorned in a intricately painted mask and a rustic shaggy costume, stands against a textured, sun drenched yellow wall. In the vibrant streets of Kulasekarapattinam, the traditions are passed down through generations."
#12. "Caught in the Net of Poverty" by Happy Mukherjee
"A powerful metaphor unfolds through this image — a young child entangled in a fishing net, symbolizing a deeper truth of life bound by poverty and ignorance. Belonging to a Sabar tribal community that still survives through hunting and gathering, his innocent eyes speak of silent endurance. The net, meant for catching food, becomes a poignant symbol of the chains that hold him captive — of deprivation, illiteracy, and a fate he did not choose. Light barely touches his face, yet within that faint glow lies the story of countless forgotten lives, struggling between survival and dreams. This photograph transcends mere documentation; it becomes a visual poem of resilience amid despair, a reflection of a world where childhood itself is caught — not in play, but in the unbroken web of social neglect."
#13. "Faith" by Ashish Patel
"The river moves, so does he, caught between devotion and dust, between noise and silence, carrying the pulse of a billion prayers in a single motion of Mahakumbh."
#14. "Reach of the Performer" by Arka Chowdhury
"This frame invites interaction, the clown’s reach and vivid expression break the barrier between subject and viewer, blending colour, light and emotion into a strikingly immersive moment."
#15. "Youthful hands, timeless tradition" by Shyjith Onden Cheriyath
"On the serene shores of Umm Al Quwain, a young camel handler continues a centuries-old ritual — bathing camels in the sea to heal and rejuvenate them before the racing season. The saltwater, rich in natural minerals, soothes wounds and strengthens the animals, reflecting a harmony between tradition and nature. This photograph captures the generational continuity of Emirati heritage, where youthful hands preserve the wisdom of the past amid the tranquil rhythm of the Arabian Gulf."
#16. "Charak" by Abhishek Basak
"During the Bengali New Year festivities, rural communities near Siliguri celebrate Charak in the month of Chaitra with deep devotion to Lord Shiva. As part of this ancient ritual, villagers—young and old alike—adorn their bodies with intricate skeleton paintings, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. This photograph captures their raw energy and spiritual intensity, where faith meets art, and tradition breathes through painted bones—a haunting yet beautiful reflection of Bengal’s living folklore."
#17. "Reflection of Faith and Fame" by Sathiyaseelan Subramanian
"A male devotee dressed as Goddess Kali peers through a van window adorned with a photograph of popular actress Silk Smitha during the Dasara festival in Kulasekharapattinam, India."
#18. "Hands of Memory" by Diptadeep Addy
"These hands have carried years of labor, love, and loss — now they rest in silence. Every crease holds a memory, every shadow a story left unspoken. In their stillness lies the quiet truth of a life fully lived — where touch becomes time, and time becomes tenderness."
#19. "The Quiet Majesty" by Javed Khan
"Once part of India’s royal grace, his gaze now carries the quiet dignity of an era that has faded. In those eyes rests the memory of crowns long laid down, yet still shining within."
#20. "The Weight of a Tear" by Mohit khetrapal
"Amidst the rituals of Varanasi’s holy Manikarnika Ghat, grief finds its quiet language. Wrapped in white, he stands before eternity, his face carved by stillness and surrender. The pyre burns in the distance, and from his eye falls a single tear- small, unassuming, yet heavy with lifetimes of love, duty, and loss for his departed loved one. It glows gently in the morning light, as if time itself paused to witness."
