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PHOTOS: An American Photographer Captured These Bollywood Stars In Their Most Candid Moments

Looking at the same people from a different lens.
Mark Bennington

When Mark Bennington, a former drummer and an actor, moved from New York to Mumbai, he was blissfully unaware of the Hindi film industry and the many stars that peopled it.

"Prior to coming here, I had never even seen a Bollywood film. My first trip to India was in 2010 and like every tourist, I traveled North and went to Jaipur. Then, I just happened to come to Bombay. I had just turned 40 and I wanted to do something different."

Mark, who'd done photography for brands and some other corporates, reached out to a friend who told him that if he goes to Bandra (an upscale Mumbai suburb), he will find actors.

"That's really how it started. It was born out of very genuine, innocent curiosity of the acting community," he says.

Mark's photographs of Bollywood celebs attempt to humanize them and have a distinct, candid, everyday vibe, even when he's shot them on a film set. These pictures are part of a recently published book by HarperCollins, called, "Living the Dream: The Life of A Bollywood Actor."

"I think I just want to capture the harmony of real life. And I want my images to translate that. I think when you include that kind of reality, it just deepens the level of the imagery," he says.

Here are some of Mark's best photgraphs.

Deepika Padukone rehearsing a music video at Film City.
Mark Bennington
Deepika Padukone rehearsing a music video at Film City.
Ranbir Kapoor during a commercial shoot at YRF studios in Andheri.
Mark Bennington
Ranbir Kapoor during a commercial shoot at YRF studios in Andheri.
Ranveer Singh before flying on stage from a harness at the 2011 Global Indian Film and TV Honors.
Mark Bennington
Ranveer Singh before flying on stage from a harness at the 2011 Global Indian Film and TV Honors.
Kareena Kapoor on location for a commercial ad shoot.
Mark Bennington
Kareena Kapoor on location for a commercial ad shoot.
Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah in lighting booth during rehearsal at Prithvi Theater.
Mark Bennington
Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah in lighting booth during rehearsal at Prithvi Theater.
Salman Khan meets his fans in Pune.
Mark Bennington
Salman Khan meets his fans in Pune.
Abhay Deol during chai break at a promo shoot in Mumbai.
Mark Bennington
Abhay Deol during chai break at a promo shoot in Mumbai.
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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.