Chronicles of life on show

The wondrous photography of T S Satyan on display

While most of them could fail in recognising themselves in his pictures, being exhibited at Tasveer Art Gallery here, nobody who saw the pictures will fail to recognise them again. Such was the presentation, his ability to sense the simple beauties of life and to capture them in their trueness.

From traders in Afghanistan to priests in Sringeri and from nuns dancing for children in Kerala to widows sulking in Mathura, Satyan saw them through eyes technology will fail to depict. His pictures were not on mere display, they spoke!

For, Satyan captured the drama of daily life, something he perhaps took from his profession of being a photo-journalist. Of course, “he was a master with the camera,” as people who knew him exclaim.

Former Ambassador from India to Unesco, Paris, Chiranjeev Singh, who was closely associated with Satyan notes: “He left the subjects of his photographs totally at ease…

And he himself was at ease too, bridging the gap with everyone.”

He said he could not even imagine “great Raghu Rai in such a state of ease while at work!” For Satyan, he said, it was the subject that was the ultimate. And he could capture people “completely” as he himself was who “he was” –– true to himself.

And this he could be because he was a “child at heart,” as historian and author Ramachandra Guha notes. “Satyan was a child. He was always younger than me and younger than everyone else,” Guha said.

Noting that religion today, has become vulgar, divisive and a worship of wealth, Guha said: “Satyan, however, shows religion in everyday life. Religion as faith and soltitude.”
He added that Satyan was a member of one caste and one tribe.

“He belonged to a tribe called ‘artists’ and a caste called ‘Aiyars’ both of which are usually known for their arrogance. But Satyan was free of any such air and pride,” he explained.
Satyan, with his childlike quality was nicer than everybody else, Guha concluded. So true.