A declining royal story

In the erstwhile pre-Independence era India, the clout carried by the Royal families of the various provinces is well known. Just on the basis of their stature, the royals would not fail to instill the sense of loyalty in their subjects, without exception. And when you add their almost unlimited financial prowess, at that time, to their persona which demanded respect on the basis of their blue blood, one would have to agree that they had attained an almost invincible aura.

To most of the royals, their financial exuberance, which aided their frivolous fancies, was the backbone behind this aura. The mere fact that they had enough money to afford marble-floored swimming pools and ornate, elegant automobiles kept them a class above just about everyone else, they believed. But like the age old adage goes, ‘time and tide waits for no one’, now the story of these royals is an entirely different one. Karam K Puri’s exhibition, E.P.: Extended Play which is being showcased at Gallery Espace in New Friends Colony’s Community Center, aims to capture the stories of the essence of the time that is long past, in simpler terms, the fading grandeur of the royals; but not through the dialogues of people. Puri endeavours to tell the story through the unfolding narrative of the spaces occupied by the Rajas and Nawabs. Decrepit walls, adorned with the faces that had once occupied these spaces, are a constant companion in the suite of images in E.P..

Its been a long while since royalty lost it’s power, even though they are given utmost respect by their subjects, they cannot afford the lavish lifestyles they once delighted in. Puri expressed his thoughts, “These are not defunct spaces, which is the whole point of shooting this series, these are living spaces. Spaces where the former royals still live. They continue to hold on to the past as the world changes around them.” E.P., a suite of 26 images shot both on film and digitally, intends to tell the stories of the lifestyle that is now lost to time.

These spaces, homes of Nawabs and Rajas, now find themselves victims of their own lust for an opulence, that was once exorbitant and now just out of reach. These spaces are now time capsules, suspended in a world that changes rapidly around them. Puri has represented the once dazzling belongings and surroundings of the thriftless royals, now somewhat reduced to a mere pittance with the legacy being carried on with their names. Armchairs, on which many a Nawab might have leaned on during their glory days, now do not look so welcoming with their strayed strings and dusty demeanour. Be it the now defunct vintage cars which are adorned with cobwebs on the inside or the plaster peeling off the lime-washed walls while an aged vinyl record player sits somberly in a corner; Puri’s endeavour of capturing the stillness of time in his frames has been quite wonderful.

The 38-year-old veteran photographer, who clicked his first picture at the age of eight, has been conducting professional shoots for a decade now. He told us that E.P. is the compilation of his work across several years, “The images were shot over a period of six years across the subcontinent, ranging from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal.” His narrative in E.P. seems to be suspended in the hope that the courtesans will present an encore of their merry dancing and the fine wines will be uncorked, again.

Since his first solo exhibition at the India International Center in 2005 which was titled liberte, there has been no looking back for Puri. His works are now much sought after by both collector’s and galleries, in 2011 his work was shown in Hong Kong as part of the group show SNAPSHOT along with some of the biggest names in Indian photography.

Apart from his documentary work, Puri enjoys shooting wildlife and tends to spend a fair amount of time in the forests of India. With his wide area of interests and splendid work, which is in demand all across the world, Puri is one photographer you've got to watch out for.