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Capturing India in her colourful hues

Last Updated 16 July 2014, 15:42 IST

To be a woman photographer has its benefits. Those being photographed trust that I will not misuse their pictures,” says Kaynat Kazi, who recently exhibited her work at the exhibition ‘Colours of India’ at Open Palm Court, India Habitat Centre.

Curated by Delhi Photography Club, the exhibition, themed around the diversity that India offers as a country, displayed in all possible shots imaginable, portraits to landscapes.

Kazi’s work is a mix of her candid-style of photography which she describes
to Metrolife in an equally candid manner.

She believes that the theme is not repetitive since India “is so big that no photographer or artist can claim to have covered it across its length and breadth.” Thus the option of being just another female photographer clicking pictures is ruled out by her.

Travelling and exploring the villages, their narrow lanes and tiny mohallas, Kazi managed to capture some of the most refreshing moments from the lives of Indians.

“As children we all learn tha se thathera while learning Ka Kha Ga, but how many would have seen a thathera in reality?” Kazi questions, pointing to the picture of utensil makerswho beat brass all day long to craft utensils out of plain
metal sheets.

“The noise of beating the metal directs one to the lane where these utensil-makers work,” explains Kazi painting a vivid picture of the place through her words as Metrolife admires her shots of the craftsmen.

In the same section devoted to crafts of India, she also captures the intricate work of Meenakari and Zardosi done by karigars in various parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and narrates the story of a fabric from being in a workshop to the posh stores of designers across the world.

The more engaging, however, are Kazi’s shots of people’s portraits from different parts of the country but displayed together.

A young woman in a red veil from Rajasthan, an old woman from Vrindavan, a gay young woman in traditional attire from Himachal Pradesh and a man dressed in traditional attire in Jodhpur, provide a wholesome view of the cultures of different regions of India. 

The photographer’s aesthetics must be measured through her photos titled ‘The Sleeping Sadhu’ and ‘U&I’. In the former, the bulbous roots of a peepul tree form a stark contrast to the orange dress of the ascetic sleeping in Benaras.

In the latter, the emotional bond between a husband and wife is captured at the right moment and exudes beauty
of love.

Another contrast is observed between the ‘divine dance’ of women in Vrindavan (in two photos – Aisi Laagi Lagan and Meera Ho Gayi Magan after consuming bhang and the calmness on the wrinkled face of the elderly Ladakhi woman in Stok village who cooks (on a five burner set made of terracotta inside a 600 year old kitchen) in the picture titled ‘A lady in the Ladakhi kitchen’.

But none can beat the vibrancy of the picture aptly titled Sasural Gainda Phool. “This one is my favourite,” says Kazi sharing how she climbed up 15 feet to take a top angle shot of a family working in Ghazipur mandi.

“It was fascinating to me and I needed that shot,” she adds while the viewer revels in the hues of the flowery canvas.

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(Published 16 July 2014, 15:42 IST)

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