'Kebabiyana': Kolkata-based photographer wins international photography contest for 'amazing' pic of Kashmiri kebab seller

Debdatta Chakraborty was announced the winner of the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2022 for his image showing a Kashmiri street vendor preparing the popular kebabs on a fiery grill.

Image Credit: @FoodPhotoAward/Twitter

NEW DELHI: Debdatta Chakraborty, a Kolkata-based photographer, has won an international photography award for clicking an amazing picture of a Kashmiri street vendor making scrumptious kebabs.

Chakraborty was announced the winner of the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2022 for his image showing a Kashmiri street vendor preparing the popular kebabs on a fiery grill.

The image titled ''Kebabiyana'', which shows the vendor working at a smoke-filled food joint readying meat kebabs, was adjudged as the "overall winner'' at the Food Photo Awards 2022.

Overall Winner
And finally, huge congratulations to Debdatta Chakraborty, Overall Winner of the 2022 @FoodPhotoAward Competition with Kebabiyana.

An amazing winning image! #FoodPhotoAwards22 pic.twitter.com/eQ0eQTsRqQ

— Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (@FoodPhotoAward) April 26, 2022

The amazing picture has since become viral on the internet and has triggered an irresistible urge for extremely delicious kebabs, or shall we say Kashmiri kebabs. Debdatta Chakraborty reportedly clicked the award-winning image at Srinagar's Khayyam Chowk, an alleyway that looks like an ordinary street during the daytime. 

But come evening, and it turns into a favourite place for street food lovers where multiple charcoal ovens, the aroma and smoke of kebabs being grilled turn it into a foodie's paradise. 

Thousands of people from across the globe took part in the contest and the overall winners for 27 categories were declared in a live-streamed event on the competition’s YouTube channel. 

Describing the brilliant image clicked by Chakraborty, awards founder and director Caroline Kenyon said, “This image, gentle but powerful, nourishes our soul.”

Giving full credit to his wife, the Kolkata-based photographer said, "Actually, it was my wife who told me that a mere glimpse of this image makes the viewer crave for a bit of these succulent kebabs. So, I thought that this was the best shot to submit.”