There is a surprise waiting at every other turn in the gullies of Old City, for a keen observer. The area is a treasure trove if you are a photographer. Navigating through the streets, it’s common to stumble upon hole-in-the-wall shops that stock spices and spice mixes that go into fragrant Hyderabadi dishes. During one such visit to Purani Haveli area in 2010, photographer Lakshmi Prabhala chanced upon spices arranged in a turmeric-coloured container with several small compartments. The vendor was amused that she was drawn more to the spice container and the light and shadow effect than the heady aroma of the spices itself. But a moment had been captured and stored.
Later, when Lakshmi and her friend Sadhana Ramchander began working on a coffee table book that would present a visual feast of the sights, smells and ethos of the city, this picture found a place. hydandseek (Blue Pencil Creative publishers; Rs. 750) has stunning images by Lakshmi, conceptualised and edited by Sadhana and designed by Ragini Siruguri.
Lakshmi is a software engineer who quit her job to pursue photography and hasn’t looked back. “Initially, I didn’t organise what I clicked. The indexing happened in recent years,” she says. The first task was ploughing through the vast archives and selecting images for the book. “We had to give the book a direction. We decided to let the first chapter be a visual feast with textures, shapes and colours. The second chapter reflects the city’s laidback attitude and the later portions reflect the enthusiasm of children, street art, vibrant doors and more,” she explains.
Sadhana and Lakshmi got in touch with each other online years ago after taking a liking to each other’s blogs. They exchanged ideas and learnt about local festivals in different regions, particularly those like Bathukamma. “Sadhana liked the flavour of Hyderabad in my photographs and thought it would make for a book,” says Lakshmi. Now, the self-published book is finding takers through social networking forums and online channels like flipkart and amazon.
Through her photographs, Lakshmi wanted to offer new perspectives on much-photographed tourist landmarks such as Mecca Masjid and Charminar but also draw people into little nooks and corners of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. So, one finds a photograph of rusted ‘wish locks’ at the entrance of Moula Ali dargah, a curious goat that followed her to Kalyani’s tomb in Moghalpura, children clinging on to window sills in Bade Bazaar Road, Golconda, boys scurrying for cover after a sudden cloudburst in Jubilee Hills and much more. Quirky movie posters and closed shutters of shops on a Sunday give a new dimension to life on the streets.
hydandseek was unveiled at Hyderabad Literary Festival this January and Lakshmi had an exhibition displaying some of the photographs. “Groups of students trooped in accompanied by teachers, taking a look at the images and asking questions. And other photographs asked me about shutter speed and whether I intentionally wanted a blur in a few images. It was a memorable experience,” she smiles.
She works as a freelance photographer, shooting images for editorial use, travel and heritage significance. Having navigated the length and breadth of the city over the years with her camera, she says it’s never been intimidating. “I think people are friendlier to women photographers. For instance, in festivals like Bonalu or Bathukamma where you find a large number of women participating, it’s easier for women photographers to win their trust. Once you tell them why you are there, they give you the space.”
