The Right Click

A photography student at FAD International in Koregaon Park,Gundesha photographs talk about the daily hustle and bustle of life at the station: People dozing as they wait for their trains,excitedly arriving or departing to their destinations,or selling varied merchandise and food at kiosks. “I wanted to capture reality of life on the tracks,” she claims,explaining her inspiration. She says her key to a successful photo is not to simply shoot without purpose. “The most important thing is admiring the things around you,and explore. The camera does not just capture a photo. Behind every photo is a moment,” she says. And a moment at the railway station is not a simple picture to take in. “Many things happen at the same time. I went through my photos many times. In that process I discovered new things all the time,” she says.

The process itself proved challenging at first. “The first day I was alone and was very nervous. People were just looking at me because I had my camera,” she recalls,“I just kept telling myself,to keep going on and doing my work.” By the end of the week,though,she became comfortable with the regular inhabitants of the railway station. Some were even excited to see her. “There was this little kid who got excited when he saw my camera. I just wanted to capture his excitement,” she says with a smile.

Her photo feature,as she claims,has helped her,“explore India the way it is.” Her past work in Goa,Pushkar in Rajasthan,and Korigad Fort explore this same theme.“I want to showcase the real India. It’s not the way people think. It’s not just poor,it’s just not developing,” she says. Gundesha is not yet certain about her next photography subject,but if she learned anything from the atmosphere of the Pune railway station,it is to look forward to new beginnings. “There is a different air there,” she recalls,“A new journey begins all the time.”