46 DECEMBER 2015^ http://www.asianphotographyindia.com
How did photography happen to you? When did
you decide to take it up professionally?
I think being a bored and lonely teenager had a
lot to do with discovering photography for me. For
the longest time it was just something I did because I
enjoyed it. It gave me a voice that I probably would not
have found otherwise. Sometimes I think taking it up
professionally was not even a conscious decision. By
the time I graduated from college, it had become such
an integral part of my life that it was the only thing that
made perfect sense.
Do you remember your first experience of
shooting? Could you share it with us?
I’m not quite sure what counts as a first experience.
I started shooting on a crappy phone camera and this
tiny little Nikon Digicam which I would sneak out of my
father’s closet, almost every day, to just wander around
the streets of Mumbai and take pictures of whatever
interested me.
Did you have any mentors or someone/
something that inspired you during your earlydays of photography?
I’ve been inspired by a lot of people’s work, over
the years. Tim Walker has been one of my favourite
photographers of all time; his ability to capture the
bizarre, beautifully, is something I look up to every
day. I also greatly admired Bharat Sikka’s and the late
Prabuddha Dasgupta’s work. I was always been sceptical
about working as a commercial photographer, but
coming across Indian photographers whose work was
that outstanding, gave me hope! I also assisted Aneev
Rao for a while before venturing out on my own – an
experience which gave me a much better understanding
of how things work and the kind of photographer I’d like
to be someday.
How would you describe your aesthetic or style
of photography? Would you call yourself a
fashion/editorial photographer?
I don’t really know if I can put a label on my aesthetic
or style of photography just yet. I would say I enjoy
shooting people. Whether they’re models or musicians,
it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters to me isParizad D