For over a month now, photographer Arjun Kamath has been receiving heartfelt messages of subjugation and consequent triumph from across the globe. The trigger? Avani, Arjun’s ongoing photo story series on Facebook.
It’s been five weeks now, but Avani only seems to be growing in popularity. Shot over three days in December 2015, it details the unlikely love story of the gentle Avani and her husband Aadisesha, who live in the fictional hamlet of Pravadh, and Surya, their little girl. The villain in the piece is Guru Tai, Aadi’s mother, who puts money and pride before anything else.
“I’m pleasantly surprised by the response,” says Arjun, whose previous work ‘Coming Out’ (about two girls in love with each other) went viral too. “In this day and age, when social media is flooded with happy images, it is rare for people to stop by a photograph that tells a poignant tale, that too when I’ve been releasing one image a day,” he adds. Each photograph is accompanied by a beautifully written excerpt of Avani’s story.
One might wonder why the fascination with a story that focusses on things we like to brush under the carpet — dowry, mothers-in-law torturing daughters-in-law and society’s view of women who go against the grain. “These things still thrive, only no one is talking about them much. That tempted me to start this project,” says Arjun.
I love this image for it's blocking (the way the actors are staged) Avani's expressions and the rich colors -- it immediately catapults the audience into the world of "AVANI". - Arjun Kamath
The photographer always faces one question when he puts out a project such as this: why does he identify with it? “How do I tell people that I can either sit down and discuss this with friends, or save that energy, take my camera and narrate a story?” he smiles. “A woman uproots herself after her wedding, and has a lot to lose if she does not hit it off well with members of her marital home. That’s still the bitter truth,” says Arjun, who hopes to keep the series going for another week. He refuses to give away the climax, but says it will involve learning. “If I give what people expect, then, where’s the learning, the thinking…” he asks.
Avani features actor Avantika in the lead, Arvind Devadhirajan as Aadi and Meena as Guru Tai. “I’m lucky I found exceptional artistes who worked for free, after hearing the subject,” says Arjun. Helping him put together the concept was production designer Nishitha Karumbaiah, costume designer Amritha Rajavelu and make-up artiste Ambreen Vikhar.
The series, which cost about Rs. 1.5 lakh, was shot in Coorg, and Arjun coordinated pre-production from the U.S., where he’s studying. “But, we had our share of drama. Two days before the shoot, our leading lady went incommunicado. Avantika, a Facebook friend, proved to be a lifesaver,” he recalls.
Arjun also took great care to fill the storyline with subtle statements on gender equality. “Avani is the protector of Aadi, unlike the norm. She’s full of love and care, yet has a steely grit. She’s very rooted. In fact, that’s how I chose her name Avani — which means earth in Sanskrit,” he says.
Love this image because it depicts the aftermath; AVANI killed the dreaded wolf and protected her husband. An image which breaks the stereotype that only MEN can protect WOMEN. - Arjun Kamath
Once, Arjun put up a general post on Facebook relating to the basic theme of the series, and he was touched to see the feedback from women, especially those of his mother’s generation. “I’m very close to my mother, and it felt great that they wrote and said such lovely things about Avani, and that they look forward to my post every day. I’m grateful I was able to connect with people in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh…”
The photographer says he’s also learnt a lesson: that no medium is better than the other. It’s all about how you present a subject and how honestly you approach it.
Love this Image because my story idea for AVANI started with this particular image in my head -- An injured mother running for her life to protect her baby girl from a bunch of barbaric men wielding swords. - Arjun Kamath
Avani has crossed 14,000 shares on Facebook, and is being shared widely on other media too. The most moving message so far has been from a lady who wrote about how she’d left an abusive marriage. “My son is five, and I’m happy I left, but I wish I had had an Aadi in my life.”
Says Arjun: “I’ll be very happy if, after Avani, some of those with prejudice look at every birth as the beginning of a new life, and not just as a boy or girl.”
What next?
Arjun will soon release his short film, The Birthday Trip, shot during his holiday in India in 2014. His 11-minute documentary Olga, the story of Russian dancer and performer Olga Sokolova, who survived a kidnapping and is a master of her craft, is still going strong in film festivals, and is to be shown at the Big Sky documentary film festival on February 22. “Eventually, I hope to spend my life making movies,” says Arjun.
