#InstaMumbai
Five city-based Instagrammers best shot of 2014 that captures Mumbai's idiosyncrasies .
A city of dreams, despair and contrasts that’s forever thriving and changing — Mumbai has been documented in countless ways. Meenakshi Iyer asks five city-based Instagrammers to pick their best shot of 2014 that captures the city’s idiosyncrasies
Prashanth Vishwanathan
Location: Dhobi Ghat, Mahalaxmi
An MBA graduate-turned-photographer, Vishwanathan has always been intrigued by the economic divide in the city. “What struck me about this image was the fact that this young boy was putting to dry the dirty laundry of the elite who live in buildings around Dhobi Talao,” he says. Mumbai is Vishwanathan’s favourite subject because it is full of paradoxes, constantly on the move and tolerant towards everyone. “While walking around the streets of Mumbai with a phone camera, the city throws up some really unexpected yet endearing images. It is full of life. That’s what makes it the easiest city to do street photography in,” says Vishwanathan, who loves shooting in areas such as Kurla and the bylanes around Air India Colony.
Anushree Fadnavis
Location: Malad Railway Station
“I always notice how eunuchs dress in colours that grab attention, but Khushboo (in green) looked beautiful and she was so graceful,” says Fadnavis, a photojournalist with a news agency in Mumbai. Most of her work is centered in and around railway stations and trains – the city’s lifeline. “When I started talking to Khushboo, she told me she has acted in a film Jodhaa Akhbar and a television serial, Fear Files. She was very open about sharing her story with a stranger. However, her friend (who is also in the image) was very skeptical, which is very apparent in the photograph too,” says Fadnavis.
Gopal MS
Location: Chembur
A copywriter by profession, Gopal captures everyday life in Mumbai and posts his photographs on his Instagram account called ‘Mumbai Paused’. “I spotted this old man in a bus. It was Diwali. When the whole city was celebrating it, he seemed lost and alone. This made me quite sad,” recalls Gopal. Mumbai has great energy, and it is this characteristic that attracts Gopal to it. “One can spend a lifetime making images in the city,” adds Gopal, who often Instagrams between his meetings and during his commute to and from work.
Raj Singh Arora
Location: Charkop
Arora, a TV actor, likes to be stuck in traffic. He says it’s the best time for street photography. “One evening near my house, I spotted a little girl playing with a teddy bear that was almost as big as her. I snapped a picture of it,” says Arora. Asked about the image he regrets not clicking, he says, “A few years ago, near a signal in Bandra, I spotted a beautiful woman in burqa walking with two little girls in colourful micro minis and ganji tops. The contrast attracted me to them.” Though Arora owns a DSLR, he feels smartphone cameras are the best for street photography.
Hashim Badani
Location: Mohammad Ali Road
A travel photographer, Badani loves Mumbai’s sheer volume and thus its need to keep finding ways to move ahead. “The term ‘jugaad’ was coined in the city,” he says. “The image was shot near JJ Flyover, which snakes its way through the neighbourhood of Mohammed Ali Road. Haji Mohammed Yusuf Banaraswala uses this to his advantage by leaving his windows wide open so that people can peak into his home and admire his gorgeous plate collection. He was gracious enough to let me enter his house and take a photo of it,” says Badani.
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