Everything starts in the womb, and so it was only right for the photo exhibition — Faces and forces of the India woman — to start with the womb.
As curator of the show, Prashant Manchikanti, takes you around it becomes very obvious why the first image of the show happens to be that of a pregnant woman. “Women create life, so where else would we begin a show that is dedicated to them,” he asks.
Photograph of a tribal woman clicked by Asif Husain Arastu
The show that has 44 photos from 26 photographers around the city was launched at Goethe Zentrum as a tribute to women across the country and the photos are simply stunning.
“We wanted to showcase the different faces of a woman like that of a mother, a nurturer, a professional and someone who is busy fighting and breaking all the boundaries society sets for her,” says Prashant. True enough, the show has been divided into segments that covers the different aspects of a woman.
There are some photos that simply stand out, like ‘She believed she could... so she did’ by Deepika Ratan. It’s the image of a woman autorickshaw-driver who is riding an auto packed with men and she seems unfazed.
The ‘Flying Woman’ a photo of Kiran Kanojia shot by Saurabh Chatterjee.
“That is the essence of the photo,” says Prashant. “This lady has been riding an auto for 16 years and she gives other autorickshaw drivers a tough competition and also takes pregnant women and the ailing to the hospital. The toughness of a woman stands out in the photo, which shows that she will do anything to take care of her family,” he adds.
As you move along, you will find moments of celebration, images of women working in male-dominated areas and it ends with photos of women with their family.
Shaswat Shankar, whose photo of two sisters at a ghat in Varanasi was one of the highlights of the show, says, “I was shooting for my profile and it was then that I came across this shot. In the photo, the older sister is taking care of the younger one and that stands out.”
The show that was curated within a month, something that was a challenge for Prashant, had over 120 entries out of which only 44 were selected. Prashant says, “We had a very strict protocol while selecting photos and we’re glad we did because this is one of the best ways to pay tribute to a woman.”
