In the annals of Indian photography, Kulwant Roy will always be remembered as one of the pioneers who started photojournalism even before the term was invented. Famous for his pictures taken during the Independence struggle, Roy’s images capture the giants of the Indian Political scene – from the Mahatma to Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, ensuring that their legacy lives on for posterity.
A new show in Hyderabad, Visual Archives of Kulwant Roy, at the State Art Gallery, gives a peek into Roy’s voluminous output. In the 36 images on display, the virtuosity of the photographer stands out and his subjects come to life, almost seven decades after they were first shot. The exhibit showcased as part of Indian Photo Festival (IPF) is a treat for both history buffs and photography enthusiasts as it portrays a master at the zenith of his oeuvre. The exhibition represents only a small fragment of a much larger collection of photo material, some part of which was lost or destroyed by the ravages of time. Many rare negatives, though, have been recovered through a long and painstaking process, and some of them are being displayed and exhibited here for the first time.
Aquin Matthews, Director, IPF says, “It is a privilege to bring the exhibition of the legendary Kulwant Roy to Hyderabad. Archival images play a crucial role in preserving and documenting significant historical events, such as the Indian independence movement. These images not only serve as valuable historical records but also evoke emotions and create a connection to the past.”
A PIONEER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Roy, a self-taught photographer had no formal training in the medium and learnt his craft on the job at Gopal Chitter Kuteer, the studio in Lahore where he worked. As a young man in the late 1930s, Roy began recording the activities of the Indian National Congress. After Roy’s death in 1984, his work was nearly lost before a happenstance brought it back to the public domain. In 2007-8, Aditya Arya from India Photo Archive Foundation (who currently own the photographs of Kulwant Roy) opened a box that had images, documents and negatives which Roy gave him in 1984 and were untouched for over two decades.
Arya had no idea on the contents of the box but once the treasure trove was rediscovered, he has worked to ensure that Roy’s towering legacy lived on. “Even today, so many decades later, these images retain a certain immediacy, which leaves an indelible impression on the viewer: we can’t acknowledge in full this singular and path-breaking contribution to setting photojournalism firmly on the Indian map.” notes Arya.
Roy’s body of work remains relevant because it incorporates all the elements of photojournalism in its scope. From narrative quality to objectively, his images always share a story. For example, his image of Nehru, Gandhi and Patel engrossed in discussion can be seen doing the rounds of social media even today!
The photographer also pioneered a completely new genre that took the camera out of the studio and kept it on the move, replacing static images with visuals of unfolding events and the people who defined them. Using hair-trigger reflexes and acute visual judgment he ensured that the personalities of that era who were not very camera-friendly, came across as comfortable in the images.
LASTING THE TEST OF TIME
The images on display take one down the path of nostalgia. Some pictures capture the Father of the Nation traveling in trains, exchanging jokes and addressing people while in others, a stately Sardar Patel is traveling in a rickshaw while others capture seminal moments in Indian history including the signing of the Constitution in 1950 and Vinodha Bhave performing the opening ceremony of the Sarvodhaya exhibition in Jaipur.
Even in the images that are restored, the linear quality of photographer and finesse is clearly visible. Arya adds, “Images of Roy are layered and valuable for the historians and students of photography to understand the processes and technology of the time.”
In 2023, it is estimated that 54,400 images are taken every second. For these images to be a crowd puller amidst all the noise is a testament to one of the most prolific visual chroniclers of 20th-century Indian history.
