Viral pink elephant photoshoot by Russian photographer in Rajasthan triggers massive backlash online

The elephant, reportedly 70 years old, died last month, further intensifying the controversy after the video resurfaced online.

The shoot was conducted by Russia-based travel photographer Julia Buruleva and featured model Yashasvi.

Ballu Khan, president of the Hathi Gaon committee, told The Daily Jagran that the elephant was coloured using gulal—a powder commonly used during Holi—and that the paint was washed off within 30 minutes.

While officials have reportedly stated that the elephant’s death was not linked to the photoshoot, the timing of the video’s resurfacing has fuelled the controversy.

Photographer’s response

Sharing a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram, Buruleva described the shoot as a key highlight of her time in India.

“Watch behind the scenes — it was probably worth coming to India just for this shoot. I spent six weeks in Jaipur. After the first week, when my brain was already overloaded with all the colours and images of the city, this idea appeared: a pink elephant against classic Rajasthani gates,” she wrote.

She added that elephants are a prominent symbol of Rajasthan and are often decorated during festivals and celebrations.

“I decided on one solid bright pink elephant, the most popular colour in Rajasthan. Preparation was intense. I visited several elephant farms to find people willing to cooperate,” she said.

Buruleva also noted that finding a suitable location was challenging due to restrictions around heritage sites. The shoot was eventually carried out at an abandoned temple dedicated to Ganesha.

Addressing concerns about animal welfare, she said, “For anyone worried about the elephant — we used organic, locally made paint, the same kind locals use for festivals, so it was absolutely safe for the animal.”

Social media backlash

Despite the clarification, many social media users criticised the shoot.

One user commented, “Strange how the elephant has to suffer so the photos can look beautiful. Should’ve just used AI and saved the poor animal the stress.”

Another wrote, “Animals are not props. Maybe no harm was done, but it says a lot about your ‘creative process’.”

A third user added, “A few likes are never worth someone else’s suffering — even if that ‘someone’ cannot speak.”