The 2027 Pirelli Calendar, also known as The Cal, has been shot in India, marking the first time the iconic calendar has been set in and dedicated to a single culture. The edition aims to depict India beyond common stereotypes.
The calendar features a roster of South Asian women, including model Bhavitha Mandava, model Lakshmi Menon, author and television presenter Padma Lakshmi, Grammy-nominated musician Anoushka Shankar, poet Rupi Kaur, and actors Frieda Pinto, Avantika Vandanapu, and Aditi Rao Hydari.
Norwegian fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø led the shoot. The project was originally conceived as a collaboration with Indian photographer Raghu Rai, but following his passing in April, his daughter, Avani Rai, stepped in to complete the assignment. Avani Rai incorporated her father's original concept of 'past forward' by using his archival unpublished images against contemporary India.