An ongoing exhibition of Avinash Pasricha’s works features some fascinating portraits of dancers and musicians
The famous Avinash Pasricha is showcasing some rare photographs from his magnificent collection of two generations of musicians and dancers at the Museo Camera Center in Gurugram. The exhibition runs until 22 November. With one of the finest collections in the country, Avinash is a well-known figure at cultural events in Delhi, and still shoots today, if only on his cell phone.
Shows range from artists attending concerts in black and white photographs to intimate family scenes (one portrait of Kumar Gandharva with Tanpura at home is particularly evocative). He has also made audio visual films on various artists including Begum Akhtar, Madhavi Mudgal and Kumar Gandharva.
Walking through the retrospective, the amiable photographer says, “I started taking photographs of artists at Sapru House during the Vishnu Digambar Jayanti Sangeet Samaroh in 1966. Frankly, I had no ear for music (even now) My wife focuses more on music) than me) but the ability to capture emotion in film fascinated me. We used to use cameras with flash back then; live stage photography was not really known in India. I might was the first to introduce it. A new technology called AcuFine, which triples the speed of a film’s development, is the one I used if there was enough light to capture the different moods of the musicians.”
Avinash recalled a festival where he heard Prabha Atre and Padma Moudgalya singing, and used four rolls of the film. “They are still with me; Priceless memory of my long journey behind the lens,” he says. “Madhavi Mudgal used to perform three dance forms in those days; Later he confined himself to Odyssey. He encouraged me to shoot dancers in motion.”
Pausing in front of a picture, Avinash says, “For me, the aim is to capture the mood of the artist. I always focus on the visuals. If I can capture a moment of bliss for an artist, then this is the perfect picture for me.”
Talking about the physical constraints of his art, he explains, “There is a lot one can do with digital cameras these days. I started using them in 2006, but I still haven’t got that right shot; Maybe the camera I am using is not high enough level. The split-second delay between the click I want and the second; This is disappointing. Of course, with years of seeing through the lens, one knows the look will be replicated during concerts. Sometimes it takes really hard focusing to capture the changing facial expressions, movements and hand gestures. With musicians, he says, there is little to catch. He also finds Mike obstructive.
no favorite
Though it is difficult for him to choose his favorite picture from the vast collection, he points to the picture of Bharatanatyam dancer Malavika Sarukkai in Khajuraho. “I remember I almost fell; there was no space from the angle I was trying to click. I wanted to get more monuments. Check out this one by Ram Vaidyanathan. Looks like it That posture is being noticed, but I was only looking into his eyes”
Talking about the beautiful shot of the unique Balasaraswati on display, he says, “I was invited by the organizer Ghulam Naqshband to shoot the performance. I had barely clicked six to seven pictures, when dancer Indrani Rahman came to me and asked me not to be photographed. She said that Bala wanted me to stop. I felt really bad and left the show. Much later I went to his Chennai home to take his picture. He too was not successful. The only good picture I found at that time was that of Bala’s grandmother while she was leaving the house, which has been used by many publications. ,
Avinash always enjoys snapping pictures of Chitra Vishweshwaran’s cute expressions. And it is visible in one of the fascinating pictures on display.
Her most cherished memory is of being photographed singing MS Subbulakshmi on the lawns of Rabindra Bhavan at Sangeet Natak Akademi after receiving an award. “I think one can feel the devotion he expressed while singing.” During an exhibition in Chennai, he recalls visiting his home where he not only sang for him and his wife but also served them dosa.
Among Hindustani musicians, Avinash feels that some of his best shots are of Bhimsen Joshi. He remembers taking a picture of Ustad Aamir Khan only once in Delhi. Bismillah Khan was also amazing to shoot, as was Asad Ali Khan. “My best shot was lying on the floor with the huge tumba of his Rudra Veena; This is an unusual shot. No, it is not part of the exhibition. My son Vinoo selected the pictures displayed here because I found it very difficult to choose,” he laughs.
Avinash likes to shoot when the actors are performing. “I really don’t like studio photography. The artist is very tense waiting for the shot,” he says. But he has shot many artists like Ravi Shankar and Amjad Ali Khan in their homes. The most satisfying moments of their lives , his octogenarian says, has been with his camera.
Delhi based writer
He writes on art and culture.
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