From love for photography to an early setback: All about Raihan Vadra, son of Priyanka Gandhi, who got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Aviva Baig

Raihan Vadra

• Raihan Vadra, son of Priyanka Gandhi, is engaged to photographer Aviva Baig
• Raihan, a visual artist, is famed for solo shows inspired by Indian philosophy.
• He overcame vision loss in one eye, inspired by family and global artists.

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Raihan Vadra, son of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, is engaged to his longtime partner Aviva Baig. Baig is a photographer and the co-founder of Atelier 11, a photography studio and production company, with her work exhibited across multiple platforms in India.

But who is Raihan Vadra and what are his interests?

Choosing a creative path At 25, Raihan Rajiv Vadra has taken a markedly different route from many members of India’s most prominent political family, building a career centred on photography and visual art.

His interest in photography began early. At the age of seven, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra gifted him his first camera during family holidays.

Frequent safaris, where she also practised wildlife photography, helped shape his fascination with the medium, according to The Established.

Early years behind the lens As a child and later while studying at a boarding school, Raihan spent time photographing wildlife and documenting school events.

He used point-and-shoot cameras and camcorders to capture animals during trips to Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand and Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan.

Injury and interruption

In 2017, during his final year of school, Raihan suffered a serious injury while playing cricket that resulted in the loss of vision in his left eye.

The setback forced him to step away from photography for nearly two years, as continued work placed strain on his right eye.

Studies and return to photography

Raihan enrolled at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, in 2019 to study politics.

A year later, he gradually returned to photography, initially taking on assignments to support himself during his studies. This phase marked a renewed engagement with the medium, shaped by a changed visual perspective.

Exhibitions and artistic themes

In July 2021, Raihan held his first solo exhibition, Dark Perception, at Bikaner House in New Delhi.

The exhibition examined how darkness can alter perception and offer creative freedom, drawing directly from his experience of vision loss. He followed this with Anumana in December 2022.

His third solo exhibition, Upamana, was staged at Bikaner House in 2024. The show explored the idea of comparison through installations, sound, light and visual art, engaging with themes such as control, choice, memory, compulsion and emotion.

Upamana is part of a planned series of solo exhibitions based on the five pramanas, or schools of logic, in Indian philosophy, which Raihan aims to complete over a decade.

Influences and inspiration

Raihan is known to follow artists including Paul Cocksedge, Daniel Arsham, Sarah van Rij, Raghu Rai and Banksy.

He has also drawn consistent encouragement from his mother and cites the photographic work of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as a key source of inspiration, studying his images closely.