Taking the focus away from monuments and heritage that define Delhi, photographer Ahmed Firoz has turned his lens to capture the hustle and bustle of the streets that bring the city alive.
According to the photographer, the city’s streets are filled with people from across the globe, in multiple cultural hues and social identities, which makes it a melting pot of festivals and culture. It is this vibrancy that keeps people both engaged and mesmerised.
Titled “Stagealive” and on display at the Delhi-O-Delhi Foyer at the India Habitat Centre, the exhibition brings out different cultural identities, moods, grace, beliefs and a sense of belonging of the people of the city.
The pictures capture the flamboyance of dancers in performance, the joys of people in a festival, the beauty of a rain-drenched city, and the stress and vulnerability of performers backstage.
Firoz said the bhavas of kathak dancers, the extremely exaggerated theatrical expressions of kathakali, the subtle narratives of Assam’s traditional sattriya dance, the energy of Bengal’s chhau dance to the intense colours and vibrancy of folk dances from Rajasthan, the 16 shots — all taken in Delhi — depict harmony in form and content.
He added that the moments have been captured in action with expressions well-defined, although a few of them may, in their abstract forms, leave the subjects to the viewer’s own interpretations.
The collection also features some works exhibited earlier in exhibitions such as “Tangerine Tales”, “StreetBeats”, and “Time Out”.
The exhibition is on till April 30.
