My curiosity of the opposite gender is what has constantly pushed my work towards exploring the idea of men in the fashion and beauty industry. Almost everyday I pass by billboards or scroll through instagram seeing this mannequin of how men are portrayed. Representation at this time has become so very important. Personally, I have seen a steady growth for women, but I feel for men it’s still one dimensional. I was and still am tired of seeing men as inanimate objects. The lack of reality is something that started bothering me as I dove deeper into this small pond that is part of a huge world.
My process for acquiring, for the lack of a better word, “models” was a bit different. I did not approach anyone but rather have them approach me if they were interested to be a part of this project. I put out a word about the project and welcomed any man who felt they weren’t being represented, felt left out or had any other personal reason for wanting to be a part of this.
The video is used as a support for my photography series. It is a BTS of the photoshoot lined with one on one audio interviews.
"Livelihood" was the topic for our thesis film. I decided to shoot a documentary.
Livelihood to me is about life itself. It is about various aspects of people’s lives and not just monetary. I came across the Toda Tribe few years ago, on holiday with my family. I was pleasantly surprised by their existence and their way of life. I was fascinated by their beautiful embroidery work, and the time and patience took to create each piece. This documentary is my journey into learning a little more about the process of how the Pugur is made, the connection it has to their lifestyle, and also the monetary aspects of it. It is also about the relationships built through art and culture whether you are a part of the community or an outsider like myself.
This was created for my Pre thesis documentary film.
Music by itself is a syncretic art form and experience. This documentary is about the music of Bidar. More specifically the Qawwali music and the feeling it evokes. My idea is to explore Qawwali through different interviews to create a better understanding for not only myself but for others who have lesser knowledge about the art form. The documentary reveals the meaning of the art form, why it is performed, when is it performed and through the performances you notice the difference between the qawwali we listen to and watch in the movies and the qawwali that happens behind the screens.