I finished studying Animation and Film Making from Whistling Woods School in 2012. After my course was completed, I knew I wasn’t going to pursue animation. Studying the subject, I realized what the job description of an animator was- a desk job in an office, sitting in front of and working on a screen. I could not imagine my life where I didn’t have the freedom to move around and interact with people. At the time, fashion photography interested me more. I wanted to create art. I had a million ideas swirling in my head. But I didn’t know much about photography back then- how do flashlights work, how is editing done, what is the shutter speed required to shoot in sync with flash? I had all these questions but on the other hand I was also eager to bring my ideas to life. Inspiration is not something that I lacked.
I had to begin my journey somewhere, so I looked towards my elder brother, Pareen, and asked him for help. I told him about a fashion project that I had in mind. He agreed without a second thought or hesitation, he believed in my vision as much as I did.
I created 7 different sets for this shoot, each inspired by a different theme. This was my first fashion shoot and I went all out. With every shoot, especially the first, there are upsides and downsides and mine was no different. On the up side, I was working on a personal project which gave me the freedom to create these extraordinary images for my portfolio without the pressures of sticking to a budget or working under anybody. The downside was the fact that I didn’t stick to the budget I had in my mind and went overboard.
- Boxed and Glam
Inspired by the 2004 martial art movie Hero
- Vibrant and Colourful
Inspired by the lives of circus folk
- Eshcer
Inspired by the Dutch graphic artist
- Ethnic
Inspired by India’s Kathiyawadi culture of Rabaran
- Caged
Inspired by Indian village women living in the urban jungle
- Michael Jackson
Inspired by The King of Pop, my all time favourite
- Rajashtani Music & Culture
Inspired by my Rajasthani heritage and my love for Sitar
On this project I learnt a lot about choosing people for my team, selecting models for the different looks and learning skills about handling the team. I was truly an amateur with immense creative drive when I started my journey and this shoot at the Famous Studio was my first personal project. I am very proud of everything I accomplished on this project almost six years back and I would love to do more of these.
As much as this photoshoot is about me learning to be a photographer, it’s also about my brothers, Pareen & Jigar, who believed in me and trusted in my ambition. Everyone should have people who not only support their dreams but also challenges them to be better and to thrive. For me, those people are my brothers who have been great influencers in my life and encouraged me to be me. I love them for being there for me always.
The team behind
Art Director : Nidhi Rungta, Assisted by Rohan
Styling : Sheetal Iqbal Sharma
Makeup Artist : Piyu Palkar
Hair Stylist :Chinmayee Paul
Production : Nakul Sahdev
