But the first time this photographer had to do a nude shoot he was not so unflappable. "On the first day of my first shoot, when we took a break, I went up to the model and offered her a robe. When she said she did not want it, I felt a little embarrassed," he says.

Not a surprising reaction. After all, it was Dilip's first job -- he was wooed by the magazine straight after graduating from San Diego University. His internship soon turned into a permanent post, and even though Dilip was not a regular subscriber of the magazine, he decided to take the plunge. "I thought why not take the job? Not because ofthe nature of the work but because it is a really professional outfit and they do everything on such a grand scale. At college we only used two or three lights whereas for a Playboy shoot you use between 30 to 40 lights," he says.

For over a year, Dilip assisted Arny Freytag and Steve Wayden -- photographers who had been with the publication for 17 years. Most of the top centrefolds over the years had been clicked by them and it was their signature style that made them stand apart -- the model was always shot in her birthday suit, looking lusciously erotic but never obscene.

Maintaining that fine line is an art in itself and Dilip insists that ensuring that subtle-yet-sexy look starts well before the actual shoot. "Before a playmate is chosen you have to test girls and this can mean taking photographs of at least 20 girls. That can take upto 20 days. And each shoot is done as if it is the real thing -- on a grand scale," says he. Also, for each girl a different situation is created to fit herpersonality. "Like, if she is from the food industry then a dining room scenario may be created," explains Dilip. This eye for detail is important as along with the picture, there is an accompanying article that tells readers about the centrefolds likes and dislikes. "The whole thing is very well planned. There is even a wardrobe stylist for whatever little the girl wears," says he.

His work for Playboy also meant that Dilip got to rub shoulders with quite a few celebrities. Dilip was part of the team that took photographs of Demi Moore's mother. "She was very nervous and kept asking for more wine," recalls the photographer. But his greatest experience was being part of the team that worked on Playboy's 40th anniversary issue. "There was an open call to all models to try for the issue. We took photographs of 250 girls. Top models actually wanted to be photographed for Playboy and we never had to approach someone to pose for us. Playboy never makes their photographs look cheap.They are very dream-like with a definite look-but-do-not-touch feel to them. In the US, models do not think that it is a big deal to be photographed nude. The money is good and girls believe that being a playmate takes you places," he says.

And he's right, most playmates get a chance to put their feet up in the world's most exclusive residences. Los Angeles plushest homes, for instance, are regularly photo locations. Also, many of the out-of-town girls stay at the famous Playboy Mansion, just outside Beverly Hills. This sprawling home is where the owner of Playboy, Hugh Heffner, lives with his wife Kimberly. His home is reputed to have been the scene of some of the wildest parties in the world. "I never went to any parties there, the staff were excluded from them. But the Heffners did host an annual Christmas party for their staff so I have seen the mansion. It is simply amazing," says Dilip.

By the time Dilip joined Playboy, Heffner had handed the reins of the business over to his daughterChristie. While he is not involved in the day-to-day running of his publication, he still gives invaluable inputs on the centrefold of the month. "Christie is a smart business woman. She realises that there is a lot of competition in the magazine market and has diversified into home videos," says Dilip.

When Dilip finally decided to return to Mumbai he also bid adieu to nudes. Says he, "At first I never even told anyone I had worked in Playboy. I did not want the image of being a nude photographer. There is no work here in that genre of photography. In any case, these days I am more interested in editorial work."

Not that Dilip does not miss those days. Not because he hankers after beauty. Dilip misses the professionalism that came with working in the West. "Over there, after a shoot the model would come to me the next day and ask to see the contact sheet. Here, no model has come to see me to find how the shoot went."

But that's because they do not need to worry. In the four short years he hasspent as a commercial photographer, Dilip has become a household name in the world of advertising. He is the man behind commercials like Wall's, Pond's and Clinic shampoo. "Almost every second day there is an ad shot by me in the papers," says the 37 year old. At the rate he is going, it won't be long before that becomes a daily occurrence.