“I was taken to the police station and my father had to come to rescue me. I was biking along with a few friends on the forbidden outer ring road (ORR) and that got me in trouble. They let us go with a warning but I learnt my lesson. Riding a bike on Hyderabad roads in 2010 made everyone around me look at me with pride. I loved the thrill of a bike and enjoyed the “you go girl” vibe thoroughly. I had my share of fun and made my share of mistakes as well.
I was always enthralled by two-wheelers, from the early moped to fancy bikes. I enjoyed the freedom and power I felt when I rode them. As I rode to college every day, the unique people I saw and their lives strongly intrigued me. That’s when I began clicking their pictures with the compact camera my cousin had gifted me. As I kept getting better at it and managed to procure new equipment, I pulled off a stint with a National Daily newspaper and even tried my hand at filmmaking.
It wasn’t easy as a 19-year-old girl in a press box along with 20- odd older men, but I made sure my work stood out. People also recognised me easily because of the dearth of females on field! But I enjoyed every moment of it- going out, looking for stories and getting the right picture that spoke a thousand words. As I grew up, however, photojournalism and biking took a backseat and I turned my attention to wedding photography. It’s priceless to capture a person’s most valuable moments and give them souvenirs to cherish for the rest of their lives. It’s heart-warming when families welcome you with open arms not just to journal their proceedings but participate in them too! Whenever I cover Mehendi or Haldi functions, I never fail to return with some on myself and often on the camera as well! I guess, in the end, it’s all worth it.”

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