KOCHI: Social media has become a platform where the young and the aspiring are taking off in a big way by showcasing their talents without any inhibitions. Among the various social media platforms, Instagram has become a place which is giving birth to new talents who dabble in photography, videography and what not. Among this new breed, five young women have achieved great success and a huge fan following due to their unique style and approach.
Yaami, Daisy David, Anusree Pillai, Monica Justine and Aishwarya Ashok are today creating a niche for themselves on Instagram besides inspiring others. According to Yaami, who was an assistant immigration officer, her greatest achievement was in gaining the support and acceptance of her parents. "They were super sceptical about my decision to take up the camera and they tried to dissuade me just like every other parent. However, I stood my ground and was able to prove my point with the help of my work.
It is always tough to deviate from the conventional path and takes a lot of conviction to do so," said Yaami.
Yaami has gained popularity on Instagram through her aesthetic, traditional and contemporary hotographs. Her 'Subhadra' from the movie Vanaprastham and her upcoming character series on Naagavalli' from the movie Manichitrathazu present women in a bold avatar.
"My photos bring out the elegance of women," she said. But being a woman in this field is tough, she added. "Just like the fans, I have a crop of haters who post lewd comments. But I just ignore them. There were some who thought that I was a lesbian or a bisexual because all my photographs revolve around women," said Yaami.Yaami has 31.7k followers. "I'm elated to see more women venturing into this field. When I started, there were only a few," she said.
In the case of Anusree Pillai, ditching her post as an HR and picking up the camera happened accidentally. "I used to go travelling with my mother and was enraptured by the beauty of the places we visited. I wanted to capture these images and keep them for eternity. But resigning a well-paid job and going off with a camera is something that nobody finds agreeable," she said.
According to Daisy David, who is today a very familiar name in the Malayalam film industry, her path to success was not paved with roses. "I decided to try my luck with fashion photography and hence went to Mumbai. It was a struggle. There were days when I went without food and struggled to make the ends meet," she said. Even when I landed a job, the cinematographer under whom I worked treated me like dirt, she added.
To prove herself in this field she had to face many rejections. "My relatives used to criticise me a lot since I had ditched my job as a bank employee to pursue my dreams," she said. However, today she is happy since people have recognised her talent and she is received well wherever she goes. Daisy has started her own wedding company comprising of an all-woman crew.
Taking the path set by her parents, 25-year-old Monica Justine became an engineer. But soon she realised that photography was what she was born to do. Monica, who is at present working as a photographer in Doha, said, "I wanted to learn photography after class 12. But my parents rejected the idea and I had to take up engineering." However, she took up photography in the first year and has since then never turned back.
According to Aishwarya Ashok, her parents were very supportive of her decision. "It was my dad who bought me my first professional camera and has since then started clicking photos. I can not live without my audience. They are a huge part of my life and Instagram has genuinely given me a bunch of great people who stood by me when things were falling apart," she said. Aishwarya has worked with actors like Ahaana Krishna and Srinda. (With inputs from Sai Gayathri R)