Arpit Rungta — How a CA/CS dropout made it big in the world of photography

After appearing for Group 2 of CA IPCC for 9 times, Arpit finally decided that this wasn’t his cup of tea.He then decided to pursue his passion for photography and today earns in lakhs

Q1. What business does your family do and how did you stumble upon the CA world?

Ans: My family is into manufacturing artificial leather which you call leatherite or rexine which is used in footwear industry or car seat covers or on sofa seats also, and I knew that I was not made for business as I didn’t understand business. So I decided to start something which is different or which is not of business field, so I got into CA. in class 11 and 12 also there was nothing like counselling as such so for commerce students either we had CA, CS, cost accounting and later on MBA. These are the only options that we were aware of.

Q2. How did you buy the CA form?

Ans: So basically what happened, in class 11, few of my friends went to CA institutes to buy the CPT form and they called me from there whether I need one r not. I asked them how much is it for and they told me it’s for 650 Rs, so I told them to buy it. Since everyone was doing CA so I was like let’s try it and my father questioned me at least five times before me submitting the form whether I am sure or not about pursuing CA, because as far as he knew me he thought I wouldn’t do it.

Q3. Did you clear CPT afterwards?

Ans: Yes, I cleared CPT in my first attempt and my class 12 results were horrible as in comparison to any other CBSE student. So clearing CPT in first go was like an achievement for me and my family.

Q4. Then you went into CA IPCC and that’s where the struggle started. So you cleared group 1?

Ans: Yes I cleared group 1 in my third attempt and then I joined articleship, and I was given both groups at the same time so in third attempt I cleared group 1. I was kind of regular at my office, I did not join through any source or reference as such because my father told me he wouldn’t contact any company as I hadn’t cleared both the groups. So I told him it’s fine, I will figure it out. I figured out something and I joined the firm. Then I had to give the exams for IPCC group 2 also, so I had to take leaves and I appeared for my group 2 exams for at least 9 times and then I left IPCC, because I thought if it is taking 9 attempts then I don’t know how much time will CA final take from me.

Q5. What was the main roadblock then, ITSM?

Ans: Yes, ITSM was the main roadblock and I had acquired single digit marks also and the highest that I got was 34 or 35. The other 2 subjects like accounts and audit, I used to get above 40 and close to 60 but not 60. ITSM was a weak point for me but I still don’t understand why was ITSM a weak point because I was one of the toppers in computer in class 10, but I stopped thinking about it now. I gave my last attempt in November 2016.

Q6. How did photography happen in your life?

Ans: I was not a very bright student since childhood. I was a mediocre so my parents knew that I was trying so they let me try. I tried but it did not happen, and anyway CA was always a backup plan. I always wanted to get into photography, it was always my passion and now it’s passion turned into profession. I was gifted my first camera when I was in class 4, and since then I had a knack into photography. I am from Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Salt Lake and in class 11 and 12 I was the school’s official photographer for the school. My classmates used to tease me because I used to click a lot of photographs and sometimes it was depressing but later on I did not care about it any more because this is who I am. After class 12 and in college first year because of CPT and IPCC, photography was somewhat at a standstill. Then again in 2012 I started photography again and took part in a Facebook competition organized by some magazine and it was a fashion photography competition and the rule was that you get the maximum number of likes and you will get 1000 pounds and that photograph will be featured in their magazine. At that time I was not into fashion photography, I was basically into nature and wildlife, so I was quite confused as to what to do. That is when I remembered I have a photograph clicked of my “hot” cousin so I submitted that particular photograph and I lost by 21 likes. That particular competition’s results made me venture into fashion photography. I was initially rejected by 77 girls saying that I didn’t pay them and didn’t have a professional camera or an experience or a studio. I was like no problem, “every dog has his day”. Somehow few friends helped me in getting clicked by me and I became famous overnight in my college. I studied in Bhawanipur College, and after that many people came to me to get photoshoots done and at that time I was not thinking it from a commercial point of view and then one of my school friend who knew marketing, Saket Mehrotra studying in St. Xaviers, he told me that I should start charging. I asked him how should I start charging as I didn’t know how to charge so he told me to charge a bare minimum amount that the person can afford it, then you increase it later on however you want. So in 2013, on Saraswati Puja, I charged 250 Rs per person for unlimited photographs and I had around 6 clients in one day. Then sometime later I bought a professional camera. At my house, my parents were very strict and my father told me not to me not to purchase a camera and I told him I don’t need money as I had my own savings. I had 15000 Rs as savings and the camera costed around 32000 Rs so I took a loan of 17000 Rs from friends and clients and I told them I will repay them in 3 months and in 1 and a half months my loan repayment was done. That’s how it started. My dad still thinks that it was a second hand camera.

My thinking was not generating money, it was more about generating clients. So, if I capture one client by charging less money or no money and if I am giving a quality job, that person even if he replaces me later on will not get the same quality job. Ultimately, he is going to come to me.

Q7. How did you scale up? How was the journey from there and getting into Bollywood?

Ans: My main idol is Dabboo Ratnani. He is a celebrity photographer in Bombay and I did a workshop of Dabboo Sir in 2016. He came to Kolkata as a part of Nikon Photography School so I am a Nikon user and I got a call from Nikon about whether or not I was interested in it. I told them yes and went to his workshop and I did not quite understand what he was trying to say so I thought of trying again some other time. Then on 25th September he organized another workshop in Bombay and I made up my mind to attend that, and at that time I did not have money to book tickets so I asked my dad for it. He said “Are you going to spend 40000 Rs for a 7500 Rs workshop?” and I told him I need to do it.

So a total of 89 people participated in this workshop and I was the only person who was not from Bombay. He recognized me as he saw me a month ago because I had personal interaction with him, I wanted to assist him. So that was a good start for me and in November 2016 I gave my last attempt to CA because I did not want to continue with CA any more, because once I went to Bombay, I knew what photographers really are in Bombay. In Kolkata at that time, I probably didn’t know how to market myself or maybe people did not value me then but after getting a stamp of Bombay, everything changed.

Belonging to a very conservative family, my grandmother told me since you are a B. Comm. Hons only, you won’t get a girl to marry, you won’t get a job of 10000 Rs also. So if you are interested in photography, just get a degree in photography. I did a lot of research and found out only Symbiosis School of Photography in Pune, offer a degree in photography. I applied there and got selected and went for the interview. I showed my portfolio and the interviewing panel told me that I have filled up the wrong form, I should have filled up the faculty form because I already knew stuff enough for me to teach. I walked off and called my dad to tell him that I will go to Bombay from there directly and I needed to party for 3–4 days and he agreed. Then on my last day in Bombay I got a call from a lady saying that she is looking for a fashion photographer for 40 days and it was 5 a.m. in the morning and it was the same girl who organized the workshop with Dabboo Ratnani in Bombay. I instantly replied and she asked me to show her some studio stuff, soft boxes and modifiers that I had. I sent her a picture and she said okay you are on board and later I found that it was for Namrata Soni’s School of Make-up and Hair. Namrata Soni was awarded as the best make-up artist in India and she is the personal make-up artist of Sonam Kapoor. So I was the director of photography at Namrata Soni’s School of Make-up and Hair which technically was the main boost in my career, and this happened in around 2017. This was the first time I was away from home for almost 50 days and then I came back and got showered with loads and loads of jobs just because I had been a part of such a prestigious institute. Everybody dreams of working with such people and for me it was a piece of cake, I got t served and I redeemed as much as I could as I was a part of that team. In 2018 I joined a course called Mastered, it’s an organisation in London and they teach about only fashion, be it photography, make-up, styling, art direction, whatever possibilities are there in fashion they teach about it. I as a photographer enrolled there but I was not sure whether or not I would do it as the course fees was super high. They contacted me and literally convinced me to join because a total of 4500 photographers apply for this course and only 200 are selected. From India, I was the only one and I did not want to miss this opportunity at all. I told them that my financial condition is not that stable that I can afford Mastered, but I really wanted to pursue it but I cannot because I knew I wouldn’t be able to repay off. So they gave me an offer that instead of 10 months, they gave me a 17 months repayment plan. The course is actually of 10 months so you need to pay in 10 installments or you can pay off in one go as well. They gave me an option of 17 installments and I thought probably I can afford it now. The fees was 5 lac rupees for 10 months. They have 3 different sessions throughout the 10 months of Mastered Live. The student who has enrolled in a particular batch can attend one of those 3 live sessions. So I attended the live sessions which was in Athens, Greece. I went there and made a lot of friends there and now I have at least one friend from each country in the world. I learnt a lot of things and understood why is India still a developing country in comparison to say European countries or American countries. We are way behind in fashion industry. I came back to India and it’s sort of running smoothly as of now.

Q8. Did you work with Bollywood celebrities, etc.?

Ans: Yes I worked with many Bollywood celebrities including Sakshi Malik, Karishma Sharma, Parambrata Chatterjee, etc.

Q9. I reckon you went to Europe where you earned 20000 Rs per hour?

Ans: That was during the course of Mastered only. The live session was for 2 days but I went there 10 days early. Basically, what happens in European and American countries is that they don’t charge on the number of photographs you want unlike India. India charges on the basis of the number of photographs or the number of outfits you are shooting for. In Europe and America, they charge on hourly basis because they understand the time value of money. 20000 Rs per hour in Greece was still quite cheaper for them, because it was lesser than 300 Euros. They are habituated on spending 500 Euros an hour for a photographer. So I was just thinking that I need to save money and retrieve the money I spent on the travel and accommodation. That’s about it.

Q10. If I were to ask you do you really make decent money that can convince people at home, will you “get a wife” now? How much do you make per annum?

Ans: It totally depends but my last income tax return was for something around 17 lacs. Regarding the wife part, I don’t want to marry.

Q11. There was a prediction by someone at your family that 10000 Rs per month kind of a job will be difficult for you as a mere graduate since you have quit CA. Now that you are earning 17 lacs per annum so people will realise that arts also has its own charm. Right?

Ans: Exactly. Had I been continuing CA, I would not have been earning this much amount at all because I would not have been happy to. This makes me happy.

Q12. What are the low points in a photography career? Will everyone succeed in this career?

Ans: It depends on how you will market yourself because in this industry nobody is lesser than somebody who is standing in the front. So, we cannot underestimate anyone, we cannot have any ego issues or attitude issues with our client or the designer or the model. We need to be humble, do your job, give your best and you will get work accordingly.

Q13. What is the kind of pays people give for pre-wedding shoot, advertisement, etc.?

Ans: In terms of events apart from say corporate events, like small birthday parties or social events, we have weddings which is a very big market because Indians tend to spend a lot of money on weddings. In India it is more about showcasing your bank balance and power when it comes to a wedding. So, they have this pre-wedding shoots, wedding shoot, many people do a post wedding photography, so in a post-wedding photography, a photographer is appointed who travels along with the couple in their honeymoon and they shoot. After they wedding when a couple is expecting a child, we have maternity shoot, then after the child is born, we have a new born baby shoot, so that thing is endless. I am not an expert in all these things but I have started wedding photography and pre-wedding photography and maternity photography, but I don’t do new born baby shoots as I hate babies (laughs). My minimum charge for wedding photography starts from 6 and a half lacs and this is for a 3-day event in Kolkata. My charges in Bombay are even higher. In Bombay if you want a good wedding photographer, you need to pay around 7 lacs per day. This is just a glimpse about wedding photography. I am more into fashion and beauty so my main clients are girls, designers, models, makeup artists, stylists. I charge accordingly for them because they aren’t going to pay me 6 and a half lacs for 3 days. They pay me around 10000–20000 Rs per day.

Q14. Recently you did a shoot for a European brand. So, tell us more about it.

Ans: I did a shoot for Ganachee, a leather bag making company from Netherlands. I did a campaign shoot for them and they are marketing their brand all over Europe. My friends who know that I have been a part of this brand for the shoot purpose, send me the picture of the hoardings whenever they get to see it. They know that I have clicked it as I have a very unique style of lighting and photography which makes me different from others. If anyone is following my photography, they can understand from a picture that has it been clicked by Arpit or not.

Q15. What would be the way forward for you now? How would you scale up?

Ans: I will just keep working. I have been given opportunities at film also but I did not quite like the environment there because I might be a mere photographer there but I wouldn’t like to be disrespected or called as a ‘cameraman’ on sets in front of celebrities. Obviously they might be getting more attention but one needs to have their self-respect level high. That’s my personal opinion but there are people who are willing to work in the movies, they love working in the movies but I understood one thing that it is not my cup of tea. Ultimately, it’s all about respect.

Q16. What is your message that you would give to the future aspirants? Suppose someone is stuck with the CA exams and is constantly told by the family and friends that they aren’t working hard enough to clear it. What will be your message to them?

Ans: The person who has enrolled or is giving an exam can only understand the pain of the failure. Nobody else can understand the pain of the failure. So if you don’t succeed in one particular exam or course, you might not be made for that course, or may be that is not your time. Either you retry for the course or you give time to yourself, think about what actually makes you happy and then pursue that course. I feel that it is never too late to start anything. I technically started photography in 2017, I was 24 years old, and I went to Pune and got an offer to become a faculty member and before going to Pune my cousins, parents, told me that you don’t need to join it because you are 24 years old now people who are going to be a part of that campus are going to be 17–18 years old who have just cleared their class 12 exams. So if it is a 3-year course, by the time other students join at the age of 21, they will be earning the amount you will be earning so by the time they will be of your age, they will be earning a higher amount and you will be fallen behind. I somehow found logic in this but I was not quite convinced with this. A degree cannot define who I really am.

Q17. I heard you call yourself a chartered accountant without a degree, right?

Ans: Exactly, there are people like corporates and all who try to fool me. Most of them don’t know that I am a CA dropout, so they are like we are going to pay you but we need to deduct TDS and add GST and all so we need your GST no. I am like I am not eligible for a GST and you cannot deduct my TDS whatsoever, yet they keep on saying the same. That is when I tell them, “Listen, I am a CA dropout, I know shit, so don’t teach me.”