Exactly 10 years ago, I went to England for the first time in my life, as a curious teenage not knowing what to expect from this nation. My father told me to go with an open mind and so I did. Looking back, University was the perfect environment to try out all the things that you’d always wanted to do, without any real world repercussions. It was a simulation of sorts of the outside world, complete with its own internal politics, competing egos and conflicting personalities.
Often, we find inspiration from places where we least expect it. Earlier this year, I was traveling in Europe and came across the gardens of Villa Borghese in Rome. While the gardens are themselves quite vast, the real gem lies in a villa within them. The Galleria Borghese was started by the nephew of Pope Paul V and houses an extensive collection of art & sculptures. However, what impressed me was the actual interiors of the building. Every tiny corner was decorated down to the last detail and no two rooms were alike. It was truly breathtaking.
My father had several little pieces of advice for me when I was growing up (and continues to have new words of wisdom for me) but one of his often repeated words were – “You are a product of society.” Being a hot headed kid at that point in time, I categorically disagreed with his statement. At the outset, the simple statement made me feel that I owed something to society even though I was “clearly” the one doing all the hardwork. Or so I thought. As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate the value and real meaning of those words. I realized that society plays a large part in shaping our lifestyles and thoughts, whether we like it or not.
Study well and you will be successful. Be sincere and you will be rewarded. Work hard and you can have a nice car and a big house. The world around us teaches us to believe that success in life is measured by our apparent wealth and fame. Maintaining a good image in society matters a lot. We are engaged in a constant competition with our peers and are always ‘keeping up with the Joneses‘. We feel that it is important to drive a better car than the neighbour, live in a bigger house and wear better clothes. Living a good life has become about holidays in Bali, driving around in an Audi and wearing suits by Armani (hey, that rhymes!).
Place – Rang Mandir, Mumbai
Date – 23rd April, 9:30pm
Mood – Exhausted, hungry, emotional but incredibly motivated
At a recent wedding I was covering, the bride told me that some of her cousins couldn’t attend the events since they had their board exams coming up. The very mention of the word ‘board exams’ transported me momentarily to another world. A world where I was wearing a Khaki uniform, holding my exam pad and hall ticket, doing last minute revisions outside the Shaheen block. This year marks a decade since I passed out of school. I completed my 12th from the Hyderabad Public School in early 2007.
Wedding Photography in India is seasonal work, with muhurtams (auspicious days) occurring only during certain times of the year. Often, I talk to fellow photographers during off-season of weddings or during a break in work and ask them how they are doing. A familiar reply is “I’ve been sleeping/watching movies/going out with friends”. And I can completely relate to their activities. After finishing a hectic wedding season with several sleepless nights, all you want to do is lounge at home watching TV and meeting friends for a drink. But during this free time, you also have the opportunity to try out new things and improve yourself, without impeding the relaxation activities.
