“I was born in Jamshedpur, and in 2002 my family moved to Hyderabad, the city that eventually became the backdrop to everything I’ve explored and built. My cousin’s journey in Journalism ignited my interest in the field, and that eventually led me to pursue Journalism with a specialisation in Filmmaking at Manipal University. Filmmaking gave me a creative outlet, but what stayed with me was the joy of capturing moments through photography, something that became second nature to me.
Baking came into my life almost by chance. During college, I helped a professor’s friend sell cupcakes and éclairs, and that small experience sparked my curiosity. I began experimenting on my own, and when I returned to Hyderabad, I dedicated my weekly day off to trying recipes, sharing samples, and taking small orders. It wasn’t easy to convince my family that this could be more than a hobby, but in 2018, I finally opened a cloud kitchen in Kondapur. From cheesecakes to fondant and custom bachelorette cakes, word of mouth helped the business grow, though the early days were filled with long hours and plenty of trial and error.
By 2023, I felt the urge to explore something new. I closed the kitchen and moved towards food styling and photography, with a big push of encouragement from my fiancée. Food styling goes beyond arranging food; it is about highlighting textures, angles, and light to make a dish truly shine.
Even the placement of a garnish or the way a sauce drips can change how appetising it looks. Though still relatively new in Hyderabad, it is catching on fast, and I have styled for Fire Water, Tabula Rasa, Gaurang’s home, and Simply South (Canada), among many others.
Along the way, I also worked in sales, marketing, and operations at Decathlon. Every role added something to my perspective and taught me that growth often comes from hands-on experience. If there is one thing I have learned through it all, it is the value of persistence, keeping at it even when things feel uncertain. Today, I juggle food styling, photography, and occasional baking, and I am excited to see where this journey takes me next.”
– Devesh Bhatt, Photographer & Food Stylist