Frames of Reality: Pune photojournalists chronicle lives of struggle and resilience

Capturing life on the edge

The top photograph awarded at the exhibition was by Pavan Sadashiv Khengre, a photojournalist with The Indian Express Pune. His winning frame from Beed district captures the uncertainty faced by sugarcane farmers living under the constant threat of leopard attacks.

The image reflects the fragile coexistence of humans and wildlife — farmers rising before dawn to toil in mist-covered cane fields where leopards often remain unseen. The accompanying narrative speaks of families sleeping in makeshift huts, children staying awake at the sound of growls, and communities grappling with both economic distress and physical danger.

Khengre also spoke about another photograph close to his heart — a portrait of a young sex worker from Pune’s Budhwar Peth. The image captures a woman confined within a brothel room, striving for dignity amid exploitation. “These are not just pictures,” Khengre said. “They are voices — silent witnesses of what many wish not to see.”

Community of chroniclers

The exhibition features works by a wide fraternity of newspaper photographers, including Arul Horizon, Anant Tole, Pratham Gokhale, Mandar Deshpande, Sachin Phulsundar, Mohan Patil, Mahendra Kolhe, Suvarna Chavan, among others, who continue to document life in Maharashtra’s cities and villages with perseverance and empathy.

“Every frame tells a story, but it also tells something about the one who took it,” said organiser Mangesh Falle, describing the initiative as a celebration of both solidarity and storytelling.

Through stark portraits of resilience, struggle and fleeting hope, the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh exhibition becomes more than an anniversary event — it stands as a testament to the journalists who, often in anonymity and under strain, bring moments of truth into public view.

–Rohit Yadav is an intern with The Indian Express