Even a passing reference to Kashmir is commanding enough to evoke the feeling of romanticism. Her verdant beauty and snow-capped mountains have enraptured creative geniuses who later have captured many shades of the landscape with great finesse. For many, Bollywood has been the most popular and dependable vehicle to transport them to the breathtaking beauty of fully-blossomed Tulip gardens or the experience the dreadful and chilling winter. In fact, a regular dose of information is being fed to people as well via mainstream media as the Valley, gripped in conflict, finds a mention almost every day in many conversations.
How differently then would a person re-look at Kashmir? This was the most pertinent question Dr. Irfan Nabi kept on asking himself when he decided to quit the medical profession in 2013 in order to pursue creative ambitions. “This question got me thinking and I decided that I would present a different side of Jammu and Kashmir through my work. The part that I associate with my childhood. The memories of Kashmir that are still vivid in my mind,” recollects Irfan.
Spring and harsh winter, he says, were his muse for the photography project, initially and as his work started getting recognised, he decided to look at his subjects through the lens of storytelling. The stories of his subjects became integral to his captivating frames.
His photographs not only do justice to the spectacular beauty of Kashmir as well as Ladakh but also weave a story that connects instantly with the spectator. First, these frames delighted the reader in a book titled, “Alluring Kashmir: The Inner Spirit”, and now, some selected frames are displayed in, “Glimpses of Ladakh, Kashmir and NaropaFestival --Kumbh of Himalayas, 2016’, an exhibition curated by Nilosree Biswas.
Ladakh, as many would agree, is a dream come true for anyone who even has the slightest inclination for photography. The vivid, colourful and myriad mountain terrain is often described as a “postcard” destination, where no filters are required to get the perfect selfie. Hence, Irfan’s work too does justice to this gorgeous landscape as he freezes several Buddhist monasteries, an old grandmother with her grandchild and the festivities of Naropa Festival to create bagful of memories for the audience.
Eye for detail
However, it is his sharp eye for detail that speaks for itself when one looks at his images from Kashmir. One of the captivating photographs is that of Pari Mahal, a seven terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range. From this Mahal, people get a bird’s-eye view of Dal Lake and Srinagar. When he first clicked the photographs, he was unsatisfied. The image that he had in his mind wasn’t translating on the digital frames.
Thus, he decided to look for different angles and luckily managed to find a perfect spot. From this place, the historical architectural marvel was ensconced in the lush green trees. The image, “Abode Of Fairies – Pari Mahal a terraced garden, 17th Century architecture, Kashmir, 2012” is thus a perfect ode to its unmatchable beauty.
“This was captured in spring,” he says, adding that the reason he chose to focus on these two seasons was because people’s idea about Kashmir is usually limited to summer. “I wanted to change that notion. Also, there is already enough material on the popular destinations in Kashmir. Hence, I had to do something different.”
And, different it is. Another powerful frame is that of a lone fisherman wading through Dal Lake on an early winter morning. Titled “Solitude – Fisherman, early morning, Dal Lake, Kashmir, 2014”, the frame in a way talks about the resilience people in Kashmir have for the harsh weather. “I was driving one early morning and looking at this man, I realised how one has to brave cold and conflict alike to go on in life.”
Conflict is synonymous with Kashmir. It could have been easier for Irfan, who was born and brought up in Kashmir, to train his lens on highlighting the plight of Kashmiris. “I left Kashmir for my studies and eventually a job in Dubai much before the conflict started. This doesn’t mean that I am in some sort of denial. I am the son of the soil but I wanted to capture what I believed in. My photographs are a kind of documentation to show Kashmir in a different light.”
