A mahout and a temple elephant stare at you from one frame, while in another, a borewell worker, sporting black shades, twirls his curling moustache. “Where is the facebook-shop?” enquires a Rajasthani kulfi seller, wearing a bright yellows sari that covers her head. These are all easily-forgotten-faces you might have seen on the streets of the city. But, three young photographers, Achuthan Warrier, Ashwyn Warrier and Rohit Chinna have decided to put up their work on a Facebook page called Humans of Coimbatore.
The page has received over 3,000 likes. Coconut sellers, tea shop owners, second-hand book sellers and milk men are featured on the wall. People comment under the pictures, rooting for these ordinary citizens who make Coimbatore what it is. “Sometimes, they also help us with contacts,” says Ashwyn.
Inspired by the page ‘Humans of New York’, a similar project to document the people of New York city, the three friends set out to revisit familiar lanes of their home town, lugging their DSLRs. “Through this photo feature, we want to bring people’s attention to the ordinary, downtrodden citizens of the city,” says Ashwyn, a documentary film maker, settled in Mumbai. It will finally be converted to a coffee table book, says Rohit, a graffiti artist. “Online space is useful and gives you wide visibility. But, we want to preserve these pictures in the form of a book.”
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Each picture tells a story. “Since all of us are involved in film making, we try to approach a picture in a cinematic way,” says Ashwyn.
The caption under the photo of an old man curled up in one corner of VOC Park reads, “It is humans I fear most.” Achuthan says this was his favourite and most unforgettable picture. Convincing their subjects about the project is a task, says Achuthan. “Many raise their eyebrows when we ask them to pose. They do not like people intruding into their personal space,” he says.
Ashwyn was Rohit’s senior at Dr. GRD College of Science, and Rohit used to admire his photographs. It did not take them a long time to bond over conversations of DSLRs and shutter speeds. Then the idea of Humans of Coimbatore sprung up. Ashwyn’s cousin, Achuthan, a documentary film maker and an engineering graduate from VLB Janakiammal College, got on board when he heard about the idea.
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They meet up twice a month for the photo shoot. “An entire day is spent roaming the city, striking up conversation with people,” says Achuthan. They find out about people through newspapers and acquaintances.
Each of the three friends has his own area of expertise. “For instance, you can trust Ashwyn with framing. He has specialised in portraiture at the Light and Life Academy. And Achuthan has a way of bonding with people,” says Rohit. Says Ashwyn, “At Light and Life Academy, they teach you techniques to approach each picture in a different way. And while I was there I had to click pictures on all 365 days. All you need to become a good photographer is passion.”
Interacting with these people has been a learning experience for them, says Rohit. “Everyday survival is a big struggle for them. Reading their stories, we hope the society will treat them with more respect.”
(You can visit the page at >https://www.facebook.com/humansofcbe . The group needs more photographers to expand their team)