“The more times you visit a place, the more forms it takes- it becomes less of the place, and more of you imposing yourself onto the place. Photography has the magical capability of capturing a place- a moment in time; it captures the spirit of the man and the universe in absolute harmony. This is why I never plan my shoots ahead of time, I simply open my heart and capture the emotion, energy and expression that the moment has to offer.
My camera is like an extended arm to me. I feel like the image composes me, more than the other way around. There is a reason I never use the word ‘capture’ with my photography- I am no thief, I am simply a unit of existence, dancing to the tunes of life. I prefer not to shoot occasions or events, but rather shoot the beauty of day to day life because every single day is a celebration, every minute is holy, and it is mystical to watch as life dances before me to its own tunes of tranquility.
It just so happened that my family was to visit Kashi in January, and I mindlessly tagged along. Little did I know how life changing that simple decision would be. I never shoot landscapes, but pieces and people within landscapes- leaves, shoes, people going about their daily work- it is so charming to see the beauty of daily life. I’ve been a journalist now for 23 years, but my journey started off as a writer, and then transformed to that of a lecturer, and progressed to that of an activist in an NGO. While writing enriched my appetite, photography to me was writing with light and image. They were so harmonious with each other that they encapsulated my entire life. I’ve worked with shows on television, pieces in dailies, and run my own magazine- all the while finding ways to showcase the simple truths of life, the essence of how primitive we truly are as human beings.
Society had become so focused on waiting for their next paycheck and going about mundane lifestyles- corona threw everybody off balance. These income sources are not sources of solace. People have now started to talk, cook and interact with their families- we are becoming ancient again. Corona was not the problem, but the salvation of our time. It’s what stood out to me when I visited Kashi. Since ancient times, Kashi has always been a place for ‘mukti’ (enlightenment). There was no need for the concept of reincarnation, just the realization of the beauty of life. You understand the importance of life and death, the fact that they are inseparable, it is such a wonderful juxtapose in the times of Corona. That is why I decided to showcase my photographs from Kashi in my gallery this year. I’ve had 13 shows so far, all celebrating the unsung stories of the ordinary man and woman. This time, it just so happened that the universe conspired to take me to “Kashi” so I could display my images and concepts to the people of Hyderabad, and I could never envision or wish to see myself living any other life but the one I am living at this very moment.”
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