Armed
with her Canon EOS 50, Deepti Naval spent five rolls of film, capturing
the breathtaking beauty of the Ladakh landscape. Showcasing her
talent in photography for the first time, Naval is holding an exhibition
title In Serch of Another Sky, in New Delhi.
Naval has dabbled in several things apart from acting, like poetry
and painting. Is photography a first for her? “No, I’ve
always had a camera in my hand… Wherever I went I would keep
clicking – whether it was in Kulu or the Kangra valley in
Himachal,” she says. In fact, Naval also took photography
lessons during her student days in New York. “I went to Ladakh
this February and for the first time I made a careful effort to
click good photographs,” she says. The photographs are resplendent
in their beauty and each one speaks for itself. Light and shade
play against each other in several pictures and the stark vividness
of the landscape is the hallmark of some others. “Nothing
has been preconceived for the exhibition. I was just walking around
with a camera and what I captured was what I found interesting or
just beautiful,” she says.
The people of the region have added a startling dimension to some
pictures. Two women in black skirts are juxtaposed against a muted
grey background or the characteristic maroon robes of monks against
a brown and barren mountainslope. The photographs have a story –
for instance, when Naval was taking pictures of an interesting gate,
she saw a man carrying child on his back. She waited till they came
to the foreground of her frame and then clicked. “None of
the people have been asked to pose for the pictures. They were passersby
and the two women (in black skirts) are looking shy, because they
became self conscious as they realized I was clicking them.”
There are also some pictures taken in interiors. There are not as
sharp or clear as the ones taken outside, but something as quaint
as an aangan or the detail of a monastery bell has been captured
on film for posterity. Another interesting aspect was that she did
not take 10-20 shots of the same image like a professional shutterbug
would. “Each picture has been only taken in a single frame,”
she says.
The show in its entirety is a personal journey for Naval. As the
title suggests, it is a search for her own personal space, a search
to find herself. However, acting, painting and writing poetry are
also a part of her multi-faceted self. With so many creative juices
flowing, does she keep a conscious effort to keep a regular tag
on them? “I do like writing and try to write every day and
I’ve tried to keep the easel and paint in front of me, in
the hope that something will come out!” she laughs and adds,
“But it doesn’t always work.” Her last exhibition
was of her self-portraits and even though she doesn’t know
when or what she will paint next, she promises to bring the show
to the city.
And of course, she’s still very open to acting offers. Recalling
her favourite roles in films like Ek Bhar Phir, Katha, Chashme Baddoor,
Panchvati and Main Zida Hoon, she says, “I'll wait for something
with substance,” she says. The most recent appearance she
made was a role in a children’s film. Naval is also full praise
for the hybrid variety of films that are being made which appeal
to the masses and classes alike. “I just watch Kuch Kuch Hota
Hai and I loved Kajol’s acting in the movie. I think she was
absolutely brilliant,” she says.
So when do Delhi-ites get to see her next? “I love the winters
here so I’ll be around for the film festival in January next
year.” As of now, her photography show travels to Mumbai,
next, for another round of applause.
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