Batukeshwar Dutt (18 November 1910 – 20 July 1965) was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter. He was a close associate of Bhagat Singh and a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He was involved in the bombing of the Legislative Assembly, located in Central Delhi, Delhi.
On April 4, 1929, Batukeshwar Dutt was photographed at Ramnath Photographers, near Kashmere Gate, Delhi. Ramnath Photographers also produced the iconic portrait of Bhagat Singh wearing the Trilby hat. Dutt’s portrait shows him looking beyond the camera, seemingly lost in thought. The photograph was taken only four days before Batukeshwar Dutt, along with Bhagat Singh, threw bombs in the Legislative Assembly, on the morning of 8th April 1929. While the photograph was being developed, he was closely observing and inspecting the Assembly building, to build a strategy for the bomb attack.
After Batukeshwar Dutt and Bhagat Singh’s arrest, their portraits were widely circulated among the masses through pamphlets and newspapers such as Bande Mataram and Hindustan Times. These photographs became integral parts of the revolutionary visual propaganda carried out by the HSRA, and inspired numerous youths to join the anti-imperialist struggle. Other artists also drew upon these portraits for their works of art during the freedom struggle.
Source: Indian Culture Portal