CHENNAI : In Vyasarpadi’s JJR Nagar, parai beats, women chopping blocks of wood, and laughing children playing hopscotch fill the lanes. Amid the bustle, Muthamma — draped in a yellow sari and a pink rose in her hair — walks to Periyapalayathamman Temple where she has been maintaining upkeep for the past 20-odd years. Yet for the first time, three large canvases hang outside her run-down building with photos of her sweeping the premises. “Starting with Rs 5 to Rs 5,000, her salary has changed but she uses it to buy items for the saami. Despite all the work she does for the god, she is still struggling with loans and is in Vyasarpadi,” shares 28-year-old N Shaktivel, the photographer behind these images.
Shaktivel’s snaps and Muthamma’s story are among the 300+ photographs featured in the ‘Engal Therukkal Engal Kadhaigal’ (Our Streets Our Stories) exhibition that was held till Sunday. Aptly named, the project — organised by tuition centre Vyasai Thozhargal, Palani Studio, Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG), and People’s Archival of Rural India (PARI) — aimed to empower marginalised communities, and open a space for them to tell their stories.
These snapshots are a result of a year-long workshop by photographer M Palani Kumar. Eight young photographers, all students of Vyasai Thozhargal and first-generation learners, break the stigma, and boundaries of what photography can be and tell their narratives. From a dog stranded during cyclone Michaung for three days, sanitation workers calmly sipping on tea after a long day to women bent over sifting through mountains of garbage, each tells a story.
Rather than a geographical location, Vada Chennai is an area with love, hard work, and morality, points out Sarath Kumar, a core member of Vyasai Thozhargal. “When we go outside, people who don’t know us judge our families, character, and lives when they hear we are from Vada Chennai. This was a big barrier to cross, there was discrimination, whether caste or class. The only tool for us to beat this is education,” he adds. However, beyond this, this exhibition educates the rest of the city, introducing them to the real Vada Chennai, beyond the stereotypes of being a crime hotbed with gritty gangsters.
Aesthetics of art
For the longest time, economics graduate B Trisha believed art and photography were connected to beauty, and taking shots of nature. At Palani’s workshop, she realised she wanted to capture the lives, and issues of women and trans communities. “I liked the lives of (the transwomen). Once, when she went to buy lipstick with her friends. The owner asked her to stop at the shop door, handed her Rs 10 (instead of treating her as a customer), she cried while telling me this and I wanted to show her pain through my lens.”
These youngsters welcome citizens to change their ideas of how art must be, and hear their stories. Blanketed by lines of saris and clothes, sounds of traffic, and large containers of water, they show us how their areas are. Palani says, “To hear stories from marginalised folks is rare, this is a long process to tell our stories. Photography and DSLR courses are expensive and for these communities, the access is rare. Despite the struggles and growing up on the streets, there are celebrations. This is their life here, and it is important to create a space for their stories.”
Highlighting the importance of holding an exhibition by the people of Vada Chennai in Vada Chennai, director Vetrimaran says that there is a story inside all of us, and each photograph conveys pain and emotions. “We have the right to tell our own stories, we should give the next generation that belief. There is a slice of life and moment in all the photos,” he adds. Among the speakers were journalist Jeyarani, Neelam Trust founder Muthamizh Kalai Vizhi, director Pa Ranjith and others.
Photography of protest, and love
Six golden trophies, a diary that notes ‘I love football’, a green jersey, shoes, and photographs of a funeral, including a woman weeping at a grave — these objects remain from the life and unfulfilled dreams of 18-year-old Priya. A Rasiya Banu captures memories of the north Chennai-based footballer who passed away due to a botched leg surgery. “When she was 12 years old, she was growing up happily in a family with her mother, father, and brother.
She gained an interest in football, watching her brother…But after many operations, she died and the reason was the GH’s first surgery. This would not be the situation for wealthy people. What about us? There was so much anger, and this inspired me to document the injustice with the hope that this issue should not happen again,” explains the 21-year-old economics graduate.
In the theme of unfulfilled dreams, 17-year-old Iman’s lens follows Abhinaya who fell in love with Carrom as a child, but owing to an injury could not play state-level. “All of you have framed our stories, but we should tell our stories. For instance, boxing like in Sarpatta Parambarai started in this area, they would call it kuthu chanda. You call us rowdies. We are people like you,” says 18-year-old Nandhini whose snaps resolutely capture Dr BR Ambedkar’s photos in homes, women dancing merrily in matchbox-like houses and brilliant pink cloudy skies. Other photographers include S Vinothini, S Naveen, and B Vigneshwari.
As the journalist and founder of PARI P Sainath points out this exhibition will remain as an archive of the lives of Vyasarpadi. “Today I can’t go to any magazine or newspaper or channel without seeing photos of (PM) Modi, Bollywood photos, G20 meetings. These are the photographs of power. What I see today in Vyasarpadi is another school of photography, the photography of protest.” He adds that cameras are lumps of metal with a hole and what matters is the intent of the photographer.
As we exit the narrow lanes, the area vibrates with kuthu music and chatter. A whiteboard with scrawled feedback is a reminder: “This photograph exhibition is a silent revolution. Jai Bhim!”