Shiju Basheer’s show of photographs ‘Oldness can be loneliness’, on at Ballard Bungalow in Fort Kochi is a sensitive take on the lives of the elderly. A trail of photographs of the silver-haired lead to a room filled with images of old people leading solitary lives.
Basheer is one who believes that his photos should speak for themselves. Given that the most eye-catching aspect of the pictures is their solitude, he has succeeded in his endeavour. He describes the eyes of his subjects as the soul of his photography.
“It is their eyes that honestly tell their tales”. Pictures have been taken in Africa, India, Vietnam and Nepal. He says every time he takes a shot, he forms a new relationship simply by being acquainted with their story. A particularly endearing one is the tale of a woman in Jodhpur who had never had a photo taken in her 90 years. When he took her portrait, she was delighted as that meant her memory will live on even after she is gone. He even presented her with a copy of the portrait and he has written about this incident in his coffee table book Unscripted Lives . Another fascinating story is about the time he got a chance to capture a woman praying who was all alone in the waters, during the Kumbamela.
“It was an accident, a lucky shot,” he said. But all the best ones are, according to him. Only then are they candid, he says. Also represented, rather poignantly, is how romance can be juxtaposed with loneliness. There are two photos, one of a widow and the other of a widower, showing them coping with the deaths of their respective spouses. The lady has put up a huge picture of her husband, right outside her house and the gentleman who had lost his wife only a week earlier is photographed all alone with only his pet for company. When asked if these were the most tragic stories, he immediately replied in the negative.
Running parallel to the ongoing art expo, Kochi Muziris Biennale the show has received a tremendous response.
“Everyone has a different response when asked what their favourite photograph is,” Shiju says happily. Outside the room, visitors’ feedback can be seen on a collection of post-its. A collection he plans to frame for his next show.
