CHENNAI : From the picturesque streets and antique structures of Kolkata, Arunanjan Saha began his exploration into the limitless world of photography. He wanders through the lanes of different towns and villages across the country, with and without his camera, and sometimes stumbles upon some amazing idea for his photo story. From the zig-zag routes of Ladakh, Kabul Gali, and the welcoming and earnest people there, the religious spots of Varanasi, and the saints in trance, his camera lens has seen various faces.
This photographer, after his recent sojourn in Chennai, took along with him an abundance of memories and still shots. The city was enveloped in the different moods of merriness — with the festive fervour of Eid, then Tamil puthandu, and then sliding into the political mood of elections. Well, for this guest from Kolkata, each visit to Chennai — be it the 2019 water crisis or elections — has provided a contrasting picture. Amazed by the background of the state, he says, “There is a different kind of equilibrium going on here. Unlike the north, the ruling party does not dominate the narrative here.” While this photographer, who works with Getty Images could not share his pictures of the different moods of the election season with us, he had many a story to share. “What surprises me is the influence of celebrities or superstars on the public’s political ideologies,” he says.
People and their interactions with him and his camera have intrigued Arunanjan in different ways. He recalls an incident, chuckles, and says, “When I went to Gurez, I saw kids playing, and people scattered around the place. As soon as I took my camera out of the bag, all of them fled to their homes. I was shocked by this sudden reaction. They thought I had carried a different type of gun with me. But after some time, I was able to convince them and get some really good pictures.”
Photographs have also become a way of narrating stories for him. The Pashmina photography project, he says, is a story of trade, produce, change in economic participation, and the inequality in wages. This upcoming project is a narration of the tensions between Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and of the repeated exploitation of women.
The process of capturing photos keeps changing for him. The 1,000-year-old Tabo monastery perched on Spiti Valley has intricate paintings inside. However, for five-six years rainwater has started seeping in, hence, a possibility of ruining it. Arunanjan says, “I have taken permission to document this change implying the dire climate change.” He adds, “These are the kind of stories I want to tell.”
The portrayal of India through capturing the poverty, dirt, and garbage-laden areas, has irked him. He says there is another set of people who capture the grandeur of elite lifestyles, colour coordination, and so on that disappoints him. Steering off from the cliché photography, he provides a different vantage point by showing the uniqueness of mundane lives, and the stories that aren’t unearthed yet.
Being an independent photographer can be challenging too. He says, unlike other photographers associated with reputed organisations, it is difficult to even get permissions to photograph heritage places. He has been questioning these rules that he says he cannot construe.
He adheres to his style and creates his norms. He says, “My photographs don’t have minimalistic frames. I have been told that my frames are chaotic. But I like them that way.” In the pursuit of marking a style and individuality through his works, Arunanjan creates his discourse. For more insights and exposure, he did part-time work, and associated himself with photography communities too. From using the Kodak camera to the Nikon D750, the photographer has been seeing a transformation in his pictures, experimenting with using various lenses, and creating masterpieces. “A bit of crop and light adjustment is fine,” he says. However, he tries to capture what he wants through his camera, not relying on the edits, and doing full justice to his work.
(Inputs from P Ravikumar)