Mumbai’s local train network is its lifeline but not too many people take the time to document this fascinating study of daily buzz and zeal. Photojournalist Anushree Fadnavis took it upon herself to capture life in the ladies’ compartments. Today she has managed to stand out in a city where thousands of photographs are uploaded on social media every day as expressions of a journey in time.
“I use the train daily for commuting and it’s the fastest way to move in Mumbai. I just found a way to utilise that time in the compartment by taking pictures and recording the vibrancy and pace of life. These women travellers would chop vegetables, feed their children, study for exams, and tell each other about their lives, all in the small compartment of a local where they would spend hours travelling every day. I wanted to document the ladies compartment and that’s how my project started. I wanted to maintain a diary with notes, memories, pictures and moments. I wanted to capture life and beauty around me,” she tells us.
What’s more fascinating about her journey is the way she captures the transgender population that makes the daily commute. Although they are usually unwilling to talk, Anushree gets them to not just pose for her camera but also open up to her and share their stories.
“Initially I found them interesting and that’s what made me to talk to them. later I wanted to know more about their lives. Why they do what they do. That’s how I became friends with them. One of them is a transwoman from Andhra Pradesh. She doesn’t know Hindi and I don’t understand Telugu but whenever we meet, it’s crazy. There’s the hugging and non-stop talking through gestures. People must think we are mad because neither can understand each other but sometimes you don’t need a language to understand some people. And she is one of them,” she says.
So absorbed is Anushree in her study of human behaviour that she has made changes in her lifestyle. “My main obstacle right now, being a photojournalist and a woman, is to get my family used to the odd working hours. My lifestyle has changed drastically. On field there are many challenges like handling pervs, managing safety in mobs and crowds. If not careful in a crowd, you can get groped easily, so you have to be very cautious.”
How did her love affair with the lens beginIJ “Actually as a child, my dad never allowed me to touch the camera. He was scared that I might drop it or do something with it because I was fidgety and into screwing/unscrewing hinges or boxes. It was only after my graduation that I bought a phone with a camera. I enrolled for a photography class while working in a software company and loved it. I bought a camera later and that’s how my journey started. My early inspirations were Arko Datta, Atul loke, my mentors, and yes my dad too. He took a lot of pictures of my sister and family and those memories are amazing and so precious. Capturing the right emotion and making memories of them....I think I get that from him.”
She believes that every picture has a story and the more you observe a picture, the more it tells you. “There are small things in life that need to be captured. Emotions and moments are some of those, certainly not perceptible in a world of android sameness. It is the life stories of other people that inspire me to take their pictures. I don’t have any preferences, I always look out for what touches my heart. I try capturing the essence of that person. It’s difficult and it’s very hard to get. You need to know and understand the person really well,” she signs off.