Queer Dates

A new photography calendar revisits Indian history from an LGBT perspective.

Written by Premankur Biswas

December 9, 2013 04:46 AM IST

4 min read

In popular perception,colonial Kolkata has its own trappings. Palace,byre,hovel,poverty and pride,side by side,is how Rudyard Kipling described it more than a century ago. Its easy to believe that colonial Kolkata resided in old houses with semi-circular arches,shuttered windows,pediments and wrought iron balconies,but that would be an oversimplified narrative,believes Archan Mukherjee,a Kolkata-based freelance photographer. There are many stories that were never told of those repressed times. They were stories of forbidden same-sex love that were kept under wraps. The tension that it built was as palpable as the cry of freedom, says Mukherjee.

In an effort to tell these stories,Mukherjee has designed a calendar that is a fictional account of a different freedom struggle. Using the found footage technique,a genre of filmmaking or photography where the footage or pictures are presented as discovered photographs or video recordings left behind by missing or dead protagonists,the calendar tells six different stories through six different photographs. The photographs are designed in such a way that it appears as if they were taken in that colonial era and we just found them and published them. In this process the real challenge was to be sincere to the time we are dealing with and recreating it authentically, says Mukherjee. Using a cast and crew of friends and well-wishers,Mukherjee shot this calendar in Kolkata and its suburbs in roughly two days and a shoestring. This is actually a collaboration of the entire LGBT community of the city, he says.

The effort clearly shows. A bearded young man in Bengali regalia poses in a stilted fashion in front of a vintage jalopy,even as two women (presumably his wives) are caught in a moment of intimate conversation. As a photographer it was important for me to understand the technicality of the camera of that time. People generally had to hold a pose for a long time,which is why most people look so stiff in photographs of that era. In that particular photograph,I wanted to depict a zamindar with his two consorts. The intimacy that you see between the two women is a subtle hint at the nature of their relationship. Most zamindars of those times had many wives and they hardly spent time with them. Wouldnt it be natural for these women to seek solace in each other? asks Mukherjee.

Another photograph depicts a group of westernised young men captured in a mood of bonhomie in the outdoors. Picnics were a rage among educated young men in colonial Kolkata. Here you see these men clearly showing affection for each other. Its almost as if the open air has encouraged these men to be more demonstrative about their feelings, says Mukherjee.

The rich theatre culture of that era that produced stalwarts such as Nati Binodini was patronised by rich zamindars and businessmen. It is depicted through a portrait of a beautiful woman transgender draped in an exquisite brocade sari and sitting regally in a sofa. The theatre also attracted some beautiful cross- dressers and transgenders. They were appreciated for their talents there, says Mukherjee.

Another moving depiction is that of a Quit India like procession led by two men with determined expressions on their face. The fact that they are tightly holding on to each other seems entirely incidental. The backdrop of Indias freedom struggle was integral to my project. I used it as an analogy to depict the struggle of the LGBT community, says Mukherjee.

It was also important to change perceptions when it came to mainstream depiction of the LGBT community in the country. So far most pictures that you see of people belonging to the community tend to be a little sensual. Most LGBT calendars that you will see involve artistically shot erotica. Though I have no problems with that,I wanted to do something new, says Mukherjee.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

LGBT LGBT community Rudyard Kipling