Laxmibai & Bendre: Couple dumps trend for tradition, goes retro for pre-wedding photoshoot

The groom plaits the bride's hair. Credit: DH Photo

This couple from the city took a departure from the trend for pre-wedding shoots at picturesque locales and chose to give it a feel from the past.

They selected the sprawling old bungalow where the bride, Chetana Desai, grew up. It is right next to ‘Sri Mata,’ the residence of Jnanapith awardee poet laureate, the late Da Ra Bendre, at Sadhankeri in the city.

Chetana works as an interior designer in Bengaluru. She and her family are very close to the family of the celebrity poet. She is set to tie the knot with Nikhil Maggavi in the last week of April.

The bride discussed her plan with photographer Harshad Uday Kamath of Dharwad.

After coming to know of Chetana’s passion for Bendre’s poetry and her family’s ties with the Bendres, Kamath suggested that they should have the photoshoot at Chetana’s house itself.

The girl’s family members liked the idea a lot. Bendre’s family members too were willing to co-operate. Kamath prepared a theme based on poet Bendre’s poems on love and his romance with his wife Laxmibai.

Chetana’s grandmother provided her grand old sarees and antique jewellery.

The poet’s family offered the umbrella, coat, cap, dhoti for Nikhil to wear and articles used by the poet like the old gramophone. The shoot was done using a Nikon D 750 camera.

The events brought back to life include Laxmibai performing Tulasi Puja, Bendre offering flowers to his wife, the poet plaiting his wife’s hair, the couple listening to songs on the gramophone, Bendre reciting his compositions and the couple playing chowka baara with cowrie shells.

When the printouts came, they created quite a sensation and were liked by thousands when uploaded on social media.

Harshad is an MBA, who worked for an MNC for three years. Photography was a hobby he developed, after trying his hand at painting.

The hobby has now become his profession. So far, he has done more than 40 pre-wedding shoots and each one is unique.