Pahelwans: The Wrestlers by Siddhartha Hajra

Information

Submitted on: 10 Mar 09

Category: General

Rating:

Description of Essay as provided by photographer:

This is a photo documentary project that I am working on currently. It is about the life of some Indian wrestlers who belong to a particular akhra(gym) here in Calcutta. I wish to bring more depth into the story as time evolves and my relationship with them does likewise. Most of these wrestlers are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who live and work in this city (Calcutta, India). And this akhra helps to uphold their identity. Here they practice their craft, train their bodies, wrestle, build friendship, participate in state and national level wrestling championships, sometimes even act in ad and feature length films. Some get jobs through their career in this wrestling practice. It is also a huge part of their identity, reflecting a part of their roots, and every time they hone their skills, it gets redefined. It is a matter of pride. And I wish to explore through my photographs this sense of pride and identity these wrestler friends imbibe and try to uphold themselves.

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Viewing 8 Comments

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    some talents are so rare,that it takes ages to explore them, you are one of those rare gems the world better treasure.
    amazing editing.....one of your bests
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    JUDGES COMMENTS:

    Siddhartha, You've got a great start to this body of work here and I'm anxious to see the ending result. One thing I'm missing is a sense of place. It's a very visual environment to be sure and the images are complelling. But I wish you would back off the subjects a bit and show me an overall of this area. Where is this? What does the surrounding area looking like? Are there ever neighbors walking by looking in at this odd spectacle?

    Likewise, I think changing the lenses up might give you more visual variety. This seems to all have the same focal length to it. I would like to see some long glass portraits possibly or even wide angle. Likewise, a change of perspective (up high, down low with your camera in the dirt).

    Either way, you've got a great great start here. Very visual, nice scenes. I think this will be a killer story when it's all finished.

    best,
    Jamie Rose
    Director of Workshops
    www.momentaworkshops.com
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    Judges Comments:
    Siddhartha – Your essay gets off to a great start with the first few images. Frame number 5 pulls it down for me because it doesn’t meet the bar you’ve set with the previous shots. I want to get a sense of who the wrestlers are, why they choose to spend their time this way and the dedication the pursuit entails. Even without getting to the “why,” there are only a few images that illustrate what it is they actually do. One photographer who has some really strong work that reminded me of yours, both stylistically and in terms of content is Tomasz Gudzowaty. Check out his website (linked below) for some examples of a way to approach this sort of non-linear narrative. There is a lot of beauty in your images and this is a great beginning. Please do continue working on this and feel free to drop me a line if you want to discuss the project further.

    http://www.gudzowaty.com/
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    SIDDHARTHA...
    Yes ,you definitely make sense to me...
    You are honest and also very very good... how old are you?
    You definitely BELONG in the top 3 here.... i dont know how many submissions in general....in here
    maybe 500 , maybe more... who cares...
    again, you are in the top 3 ( in my book )..
    congratulations...
    keep going...

    like i said earlier... there is no reason to impress....anybody...
    not that its that possible... we have seen everything over and over...
    just be "you"... mirror yourselves... be honest..
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    Thank you for the response...
    I also find the use of black and white very elegant..
    We can open a new discussion about post processing here
    and whats pure and whats cheating but my general opinion
    is do what you have to do as long as it suits your vision...
    Good job..
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    I just got this email from Siddhartha...
    He was unable to log in for some reasons:

    "Dear Panos,
    How are you doing?
    Thanks for your feedback on my photoessay on Vewd Student Documentary Contest.
    I wrote a reply there but it somehow did not manage to register on the page. So I thought of writing to you.
    About why I chose this particular subject: Well, to begin with I have long been trying to gain an understanding of the people who live in this city coming from different backgrounds, about how they negotiate their lives about it. In doing so I feel I am able to understand my surroundings better and better negotiate my way through this human mosaic. Having born and brought up in this city, I have found photography bringing me closer to that process of understanding, it has helped me come across situations with people that I otherwise would not have come across in the first place. These wrestler are like any other people you might come across in this city doing their job, living with their family and helping make ends meet. But it is only when they wake up every morning to practice their craft that they do something special, holding up their identity through their craft, before they go on to do other things...and at another level they are helping in keeping the flame of India's traditional cultures burning through their honing of skills, which I think is quite a novel thing to do in these changing times...
    I hope I am able to make some sense to you...
    I like reading your comments on DAH's blog, especially when you challenge the general perceptions.
    Take care...
    Best,
    Siddhartha"


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    Hi Panos, thanks really for your feedback!
    For a long time I am trying to find out how people from different backgrounds live and negotiate their lives in this city (Calcutta, India), because, in doing so, I find in some way, I am able to place myself in that mosaic of people, which in turn helps makes me sense my surroundings and negotiate my life in it. And photography has helped me to come closer to achieve the best understanding of people, but I am still working on it. The wrestlers live in the city, they work and have families, but that's when they are part of the crowd. But It's when they are practicing their craft that they stand out from the rest. And each time they wake up in the morning to practice their craft they are helping in upholding one of India's traditional culture, which I think is quite novel, given the changing times we live in.
    I hope I am able to make sense to you. I quite like reading you on DAH's Blog, especially when you challenge the general perceptions and cut through niceties. Take care.
    Best regards,
    Siddhartha
    Siddhartha
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    SIDDHARTHA...
    YOU are the best editor here so far and by far....
    You are right to the point...
    What made you choose this subject?
    You are very talented my friend.... the most talented photographer here... so far...
    I see bright future....
    more later!
 

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