What do you aim to communicate through your photography and visual storytelling?

The aim is to communicate the simple and unheard stories of different subjects through photography. I focus on capturing observations that usually go unnoticed but have the potential to tell a story or translate into a beautiful visual. Additionally, in today’s world where everything around is modernising with technology, I feel the need to highlight the fading cultural roots of arts and fashion through visual storytelling for society.

What inspired your exploration of ‘women in fashion’?

I have been travelling and exploring the rural landscapes of India for quite sometime now. The people, their culture and their stories have hugely inspired me to develop a better understanding about the features of the landscapes and their people. On this journey, I discovered that the women in the rural regions of India have a very unique sense of style and colours they wear in their daily lives which makes them stand out really well as a unique subject of documentation. As I started to photograph women in rural India in their authentic and natural element it helped me to observe their movements and actions very closely and patiently. When I began to capture this, I noticed that their distinctive skin tones and textures when paired with the rich colours and traditional prints delivered some really beautiful photographs. It helped me to understand fashion at a grassroot level. I started exploring more around this subject which led me to document the series ‘women in fashion’.

Is there a cultural significance to the fabric and decorative jewellery that the woman photographed in Gokarna is wearing?

The women that are photographed are from an indigenous tribe called The Halakki tribe of Gokarna. These women have a very distinctive way of styling their saree paired with multiple layers of this tribal beaded jewellery. The beads and stones used to craft these necklaces are sourced from nature which reflects their deep rooted connection with their natural environment. Their attire is a unique symbol of their identity and tradition. This tribe is sadly at the verge of extinction now.

What would you say makes the ‘women in fashion’ you capture stand out to you as a photographer?

When I capture ‘women in fashion’, even though the photographs feature one or a few women in the series, it helps to learn about the entire community of that region. In these rural communities women are traditionally the pioneers and so it is interesting to know and witness how their fashion journey has been transmitted through generations. Every element of their daily fashion has a cultural significance. Besides, it is heartwarming to know their stories, hardships and small things that make them happy. There are countless unique tribes and communities hidden in the most remote regions of the world. I plan to continue to explore, learn and document these communities through my photography and visual storytelling.

As your women in fashion series has captured women in different regions, like Harnai and Gokarna, what differences have you seen in how women dress?

There is a huge difference in the way women dress in different regions across India and every style has its own elegance. The fashion of any given region stems from multiple factors like utility, tradition, colour of the landscape, materials available locally etc. All these factors differ from region to region and hence the fashion is unique in every region. Gokarna women are seen draping their solid coloured cotton sarees like a sarong with beaded necklaces. These beads are naturally sourced from the jungles and are layered in multiples which makes it a stunning fashion statement. Whereas women in Harnai wear more prints and vibrant colours with thick gold jewellery that highlights the bold character of a fisherwoman. They drape their saree in the most authentic style called the 'Nauvari' draping. Natural flowers being a hair accessory is an inevitable element of their daily fashion. One common quality that women in both the regions share is that they carry themselves with a lot of elegance, proudly representing their community and their rich culture.