lensman Aadil Jamal’s new exhibition explores the Capital’s rich heritage from a different perspective. Sonali Arora reports
Jantar Mantar might have become a one-stop for protests in the city, but for history lovers and tourists, this place is nothing less than an astronomical wonder. While some visit this place to unravel its mystery, ace photographer Aadil Jamal, who is known to give a new dimension to an old and familiar place, has captured the monument so beautifully that you feel it is photoshopped.
As we entered the Delhi O Delhi foyer at the India Habitat Centre, we witnessed Delhi’s glorious past beautifully expressed through frames. The esoteric beauty and extravagance of the monuments, which most of us miss in our daily life, have been captured in an unbelievably magnificent way by Jamal.
Through his exhibitionZariyaa, the photographer aims at providing a strong link to the generation of today to the past that has played a big role in shaping their present and would possibly play a vital role in shaping their future, too. “I think it is very important for today’s generation to respect their heritage and culture because that is what essentially defines them. There is a huge responsibility on the youth to take the past into the future, for the successive generations to marvel at.”
This Delhi-based photographer has been known for his work incorporating a scintillating play of shades and shadows.Zariyaa is the stage of metamorphosis of his past work. It heralds the breaking of the stereotype and is a mixture of everything he has done before and wants to do in the future. “One needs to keep exploring and evolving. I began with no definitive signature style, but got caught up into a comfort zone of reflections, shades, shadows and rich burnt hues.
I would look for a small portion of a large canvas and capture it for my audience. But, monotony is boring. While reflections and shadows still remain my firm calling, I decided to also look at the larger picture and give the zoom a miss. In effect, I wanted to capture the entire story, rather than just an episode,” said Jamal. The series include a collection of 15 photographs.
The frame picturing of the psychedelic convergence of the stone pillars clicked at the Ram Yantra (at Jantar Mantar) has a meditative quality about it. The shot doesn’t tease the eyes with too many elements, but emphasises on a focal point that creates the right kind of balance. The photographer’s deep affinity for the many yantras that dot India, spurred him to click another vibrant shot which features brilliantly rich hues — the dramatic red staircase has not been treated with any kind of effect, it speaks of the simple yet intriguing synergy between his use of lens and light.
The one picture that instantly catches the eyes is of the royal blue miniature train at the National Railway Museum. The frame makes you think of the journey and its travellers. The exhibition also includes some selective photographs of his previous works. One of the most-talked works, a part of the Ramaq series, showcases the golden rays of the sun filtering through the exquisitejaali work of Humayun’s tomb. Jamal has brilliantly captured the light on the red stoned walls of the monument.
The photographer has been always on the quest of exploring and discovering himself. He is a master at finding and rediscovering a piece of stone that has been written about and captured numerous times. Even if you have visited a particular monument a 1,000 times, the photographs will show a different angle, a corner or a marvellous shadow that you might have not noticed before.
What sets him apart from his contemporaries is that he gives hours to get the right light for that perfect frame. Each click is like a chapter in history, recorded for the purpose of posterity. “Every decade or so, you see buildings that you pass by disappear from the pages of our life. By photographing these structures, I can at least freeze them in our memory,” said Jamal, who finds history fascinating and a source of inspiration. “I can’t help but succumb to its charms. The need to share the grandeur of the past with the people has always given me the push to continue with what I am doing,” he added.
Besides history, nature too charms him. This winter, he plans to capture the natural beauty of the Kashmir valley. His future endeavours include capturing the bright colours of autumn.
The exhibition is on till June 30.