When I received this invitation for the Dhobhighaat photoshoot, I was excited since it would mean big if I could win. My spirits were dampened first by seeing the number of people participating in the shoot online and then by actually seeing the people present onsite!!!!
God played tricks with me all the time...
Anyways... I refurbished my dreams of winning and I went ahead to shoot the life of an average Mumbaikar...for that matter even a below average guy.
I started with finding someone who wanted to freshen up. I mean on a holiday, I wouldn't freshen up so early in the morning. But when I tried to find one... I found several.
Okie moving forward, I tried to capture the next instant after one freshens up - morning tea. Today wasn't my lucky day I guess. Throughout those 5 hours I couldn't grab a single brother drinking the morning beverage...tough-luck for me I guess.
I had decided to not take my car today.... wherever I would have gone, it would be either on foot or by train or bus.... not even rickshaws or taxis.
So I fought my way into the train and finally when I was comfortably placed (read got space for both feet), I started to look around for something interesting. What I found was overwhelming!!!!
Dreams of every kind were floating around the eyes of every shape; some covered, some sleepy, but all of them hanging on to make it to their destinations... ahem... too heavy
I had googled for the location of the dhobhighaats in Mumbai and landed finally in Mahalaxmi. I had never been before here; I mean being at the race-course is one thing but definitely not at the dhobhighaat...
Its an experience in itself; this washing clothes industry is huge and I can vouch for it. In around just 5000 sqft at least 50 Tonnes of fabric of all kinds were being washed - doctors gown, towels, sarees, regular clothes and an array of white shirts (didnt shoot that cos how much ever I tried, the photograph was overexposed)...
The place seemed to be packed with emotions... thoughtful, controller, agnostic.... every kind of them
Mandarin, mauve and harvest green seemed to be the colours of the day.... an array of each of these colours spread over several lines...
Content with what I had shot for sometime and dampened by the number of people trying to shoot, I moved ahead... this time to VT....
The first one to for me to encounter there was the symbol of peace.... hard to make out, however, was the fact that the dove herself was frightened of something....
My long time friend had suggested that I should cover the Fashion Street once; today perhaps was the day... maybe not the right time however....
Colours, however, were awesome... they can just captivate you and anchor you at your place, untill you are woken from your slumber by the nudge at your elbow from a potential seller....
Collection of the junk jewelery was something that bowled me over... my friend was right.... she has hell lot of experience I guess...
Here too, I managed to pull out the emotions in the air... perhaps friendship was the cue here....
Walking through the complete fashion street (which seemed impossible in the beginning), I finally reached the place which I had heard about in many movies during casualties... Bombay Hospital...my photography spree would have ended here, but for these 2 gentlemen...
Finally on my way back home, I got the essence of the practical mood of Mumbai too... Survival...
So as I finally wind up with emotions from my previous walks around Mumbai and this one, I was at loss of words to describe this city..... my friends from my firm-to-be helped me out on this..... this is what they gave me in 50 words from my collection comprising of, by and for Mumbai...
"Bound together by a strong undercurrent to survive and outperform - Yes, this is Mumbai. City, that steps forward and meets every morning with a 'salaam', regardless of what fate brings along. Running through the day with its vintage charm, it pauses only to ponder 'Can I make it large?'"
Aastalavista....
Abhishek
God played tricks with me all the time...
Anyways... I refurbished my dreams of winning and I went ahead to shoot the life of an average Mumbaikar...for that matter even a below average guy.
I started with finding someone who wanted to freshen up. I mean on a holiday, I wouldn't freshen up so early in the morning. But when I tried to find one... I found several.
Okie moving forward, I tried to capture the next instant after one freshens up - morning tea. Today wasn't my lucky day I guess. Throughout those 5 hours I couldn't grab a single brother drinking the morning beverage...tough-luck for me I guess.
I had decided to not take my car today.... wherever I would have gone, it would be either on foot or by train or bus.... not even rickshaws or taxis.
So I fought my way into the train and finally when I was comfortably placed (read got space for both feet), I started to look around for something interesting. What I found was overwhelming!!!!
Dreams of every kind were floating around the eyes of every shape; some covered, some sleepy, but all of them hanging on to make it to their destinations... ahem... too heavy
I had googled for the location of the dhobhighaats in Mumbai and landed finally in Mahalaxmi. I had never been before here; I mean being at the race-course is one thing but definitely not at the dhobhighaat...
Its an experience in itself; this washing clothes industry is huge and I can vouch for it. In around just 5000 sqft at least 50 Tonnes of fabric of all kinds were being washed - doctors gown, towels, sarees, regular clothes and an array of white shirts (didnt shoot that cos how much ever I tried, the photograph was overexposed)...
The place seemed to be packed with emotions... thoughtful, controller, agnostic.... every kind of them
Mandarin, mauve and harvest green seemed to be the colours of the day.... an array of each of these colours spread over several lines...
Content with what I had shot for sometime and dampened by the number of people trying to shoot, I moved ahead... this time to VT....
The first one to for me to encounter there was the symbol of peace.... hard to make out, however, was the fact that the dove herself was frightened of something....
My long time friend had suggested that I should cover the Fashion Street once; today perhaps was the day... maybe not the right time however....
Colours, however, were awesome... they can just captivate you and anchor you at your place, untill you are woken from your slumber by the nudge at your elbow from a potential seller....
Collection of the junk jewelery was something that bowled me over... my friend was right.... she has hell lot of experience I guess...
Here too, I managed to pull out the emotions in the air... perhaps friendship was the cue here....
Walking through the complete fashion street (which seemed impossible in the beginning), I finally reached the place which I had heard about in many movies during casualties... Bombay Hospital...my photography spree would have ended here, but for these 2 gentlemen...
Finally on my way back home, I got the essence of the practical mood of Mumbai too... Survival...
So as I finally wind up with emotions from my previous walks around Mumbai and this one, I was at loss of words to describe this city..... my friends from my firm-to-be helped me out on this..... this is what they gave me in 50 words from my collection comprising of, by and for Mumbai...
"Bound together by a strong undercurrent to survive and outperform - Yes, this is Mumbai. City, that steps forward and meets every morning with a 'salaam', regardless of what fate brings along. Running through the day with its vintage charm, it pauses only to ponder 'Can I make it large?'"
Aastalavista....
Abhishek
waah ustaad waah... lagey raho
ReplyDeleteReally Impressed Sir !!! Awesome !!! Its really touchy !!! For sometime i truly felt that the shots were my only guide to show me the picture of real India and to feel proud that i am a citizen of this diversified India !! We all will expect more and more from you bro !!!
ReplyDeleteGood work mate...And all the best for the competition..let me know how it goes for sure :-)
ReplyDeleteSuper. For a person who does not Mumbai, this is a must read and for ppl whose Mumbai is only their 2bhk, please read this. This will definitely open ur eyes to what Mumbai is. You already are a winner.
ReplyDeleteiam sending this link to the guy in the first pic (Watch out!!)
ReplyDeleteThat was jus stupendous..!!I too stay in Mumbai since da past two years nd da beauty with which u hav captured da essence of the city is jus remarkable,not to mention jus adored ur photography..!!
ReplyDelete