Dinesh Khanna in Tehelka
Tehelka has brought out a special issue–”What’s Right About India” (I cannot now remember whether there’s a question-mark at the end of that phrase or not). Among the contributors is a group of Indian photographers. I liked Dinesh Khanna’s photographs above. And Khanna’s wonderful caption: “This diptych reflects India positive: the existence of contrasts and our ability to handle them. Two men from the same milieu and different. They could well be the same person. Now at ease in a lungi and minutes later, dressed up like a dude!” Unlike other photographers, some of whom are included in the Tehelka portfolio, Khanna is not merely interested in making beautiful images. Khanna’s pictures demand a certain amount of intellectual work, and his caption is an example of the work that the photographer is himself doing. The image doesn’t stand alone–there is a conversation between the two parts–and the viewer is pulled away from the familiar routine of simply admiring compositional unity and tones in a single, stunning image. There is a critical refashioning here, and style, and these too are a part of the search for our own modernity. Thank you, Dinesh Khanna!
Prof, are you sure it isn’t illegal to put this photo in the public domain? I checked their website and none of the photos are freely downloadable (you need to be a member).
Check out Dinesh’s website - http://www.dineshkhanna.com/
Comment by Varun — February 7, 2006 @ 7:23 pm
I liked the photo at first glance. But then realised it was actually two photos patched up, and somehow, I don’t like that.
Comment by babushkathegreat — February 7, 2006 @ 8:57 pm
I would appreciate the photograph more had it been one solid image. In terms of Indian photographers/photojournalists no one comes close to Raghubir Singh, well maybe Raghu Rai but only for his coverage of the Bhopal tragedy. Raghubir Singh’s composition is perhaps the most unique and boundary-free of all the photographers I know.
Comment by Vikash Singh — February 8, 2006 @ 8:17 pm
I think one thing people are missing in this picture is that both the guys in the right & the left frame are same. Or are they? If they are the same guy, it explains the joining of two different images.
Comment by Varun — February 12, 2006 @ 2:23 pm