There are times when words alone cannot do justice to a feeling you may want to express. Writing is, after all, a visual exercise and at its best, it can make the reader see something as vividly as a photograph. I have always believed that writers need to be versatile and be as comfortable with visual formats as they are with words. It is only through engaging in such multi-disciplinary artistic pursuits that a person can strive to attain excellence. Keeping this in mind, this week’s issue (temporarily) forsakes the written word and is a photo essay on Bengaluru/Bangalore (as per your preference).
I can sense that some of you who know me (and have often made hurtful and uncharitable remarks about my photography skills) are raising your eyebrow suspiciously, as you read this. Perhaps you’re thinking that since I am visiting family in BLR, I must have been loafing around and dozing at odd hours. That I must have been too lazy to work on a newsletter this week and hence came up with this devious, though admittedly ingenious, ‘photo essay’ ploy. “What a faanki-baaj (ফাঁকি বাজ)1”, you’re sniggering to yourself.
Firstly, I do not want to dignify these heinous allegations with any response. Secondly, by way of response, I would like to vehemently and unequivocally deny the insinuation that this photo essay was a last-minute contrivance I cooked up because I have been napping for most of this week and was panicking about not having a newsletter issue ready in time. Nothing could be farther from the truth. To be honest, I am appalled that a person’s innocent attempt to explore his creative outlets could lead to such opprobrious lies. I can only hope that the photo essay below will speak for itself and dispel these falsehoods. Lastly, for those of you who have mocked my photography in the past and are now stunned by the artistry on display, I have two words: Grid Lines.
The sceptics may look at these beautiful pictures and complain, “Aha! He didn’t even step outside the house! What kind of photo essay is this. He must have taken these pictures in 10 minutes. What a hack job!” Frankly, I think people who can hate on pictures of an adorable cat are beyond redemption. Nevertheless, I would like to set the record straight.
These well-crafted images were conceptualised, composed and created over many days. Art is not defined by what we see inside or outside our homes. Art can be anywhere. One need not run around a city with a camera to make art. Besides, it is completely untrue that I did not step outside the house. I took the last picture at a restaurant.
Since art is also about acknowledging other talented people, let me end this photo essay by sharing a picture taken by my brother-in-law, who owns a spectacular camera phone and has received wide acclaim for his photography (on our family WhatsApp group).
I hope you enjoyed this visual journey. We will return to the usual format next week. Unless I extend my trip.
Faanki-baaj (ফাঁকি বাজ) is one of those delightful Bengali terms which lose a part of their essence in translation. Every Bengali child has been at the receiving end of this invective at some point in their life. Loosely translated, it means someone who evades work. Similar to kaam-chor (कामचोर) in Hindi.
I hope you enjoyed your visit, love the photos and the cat 😊 it made me smile, thank you 🙏