Dreams and fears are just like anyone else’s
Their aspirations, dreams and fears are just like anyone else’s. They too feel shy when a boy compliments them. She can stand the strange looks and harsh comments people throw at her but not everyone, who has been through that trauma, is that strong..”Breathing freedomIn the course of the project, Niraj realised that all the girls had just wanted to feel normal.It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words but each photograph clicked by Niraj Gera tells a huge غير مجاز مي باشدa of grit and determination. They suffer from acute depression and suicidal tendencies. In fact, beauty is a relative term. “I had gone to the protest just to click few snaps. “None of them wants to be identified as a victim or a survivor.”Untainted loveBut his bigger battle was to convince the survivors how beautiful they are. Also, all the girls were from different cities and I had to travel a lot to do the shoots. So, my series also aims to sensitise their families,” he says.
He conducted a week-long workshop with the survivors where he taught them about spirituality, meditation and breathing techniques, which he says helped in killing the anxiety and self-doubt. You will be shocked to know that some of their families haven’t accepted them. Talking about why it took so long, he says, “I am a businessman too, so I had other commitments as well. I took up the project not just as a photographer but also as an activist.Longing for the pastNiraj has shown the series to his guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and he has asked him to bring the girls to the ashram. If the emotion didn’t express the transformation, it didn’t work for me and the shoot had to be done again. His upcoming exhibition titled “Sacred Transformations” will showcase images of women acid attack survivors and chronicle their emotional journey. They want no special treatments.
It was important for them to understand that before changing the world, they had to change themselves,” says Niraj who is also an Art of Living teacher. He continues, “I want to sensitise people that women are not objects and outer beauty is not everything. The lensman is also getting a lot of good feedback from all around as he has been approached by social workers wanting to lend a helping hand to the noble cause.In the series of 36 photographs, which will be exhibited at Arpana Caur Gallery from Monday, Delhi-based Niraj has attempted to communicate the plight of the survivors and the idea of doing so, struck him when he went to a protest march in 2014 where he saw them asking for basic rights. Over the years, they all have become like my family members,” says the 40-year-old.The unrobable joyThe whole series took about 28 months to complete.
“Someone like Laxmi, who is also the face of the acid attack campaign — “Stop Acid Attacks”, is a strong woman. There I saw the survivors asking for basic rights like job opportunities and ban of sale of acid. When someone treats them badly, their morale goes down. “I am going to keep a register at the exhibition and ask people to donate — not money but their skills to help the survivors become a part of the mainstream society,” he says before famous car batteries signing off. Lastly, most of the times, I was just not happy with the shot. I was so moved by their stories that I began to feel for their cause
برچسب: ،
ادامه مطلب