‘JH Thakker’s practice can be contextualised as that of an idol-maker’: Roobina Karode

In the late 1940s, when a young independent India was still finding direction, Bollywood was already a well-established industry with busy film studios and numerous movie stars to boast of. When JH Thakker arrived in the metropolis in 1947 as a migrant from Karachi, little did he anticipate that some of the city’s most renowned names will become frequent visitors to his photo studio that stood in Dadar in Central Mumbai. Some of them included Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Meena Kumari.

The golden period of the film industry photographed by him is now being celebrated through an exhibition titled “Sitaare Zameen Par” at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Modern Art in Noida. “Thakker quickly understood the exceptional role assigned to him — that of shining the glittering light of these stars on the earth, while masquerading as any other crew member on the movie set. Thakker not only utilised his technical acumen and astute sense of the “chiaroscuro” (the light and dark gradation of tones) but deployed imagination to formalise and posture glamorous subjects as the icons of popular romance. Within these “temples of desire” exquisitely perfumed by timeless music, song, and dance compositions, Thakker’s practice can be contextualised as that of an idol-maker,” notes Roobina Karode, director and chief curator Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.

Check out the photographs by Thakker below:

Dev Anand Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Raj Kapoor and Nargis Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Raaj Kumar and Rehana Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Dilip Kumar Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Madhuri Dixit Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Suraiya Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Pran Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Naushad Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Nargis Photograph by JH Thakker, silver gelatin print collection and image courtesy: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

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