We bet you did not know that Nizamabad enjoys the most sensuous climate in the state. Or that the road leading to Anantagiri Hills in Vikarabad is as mesmerising as the hairpin bends to Coorg. Ace photographer Varun Joshi, who worked on the coffee table book on the state, tells us what to check out this year, considering 2017 boasts of 13 long weekends including this festive one
HYDERABAD:Ace photographer Varun Joshi travelled across the state for six months to capture the best sights and landscapes of the 31 districts for the coffee table book titled Telangana - The Kohinoor of India - A Pictorial Souvenir. Not just the readers, the much-travelled photographer himself was stumped with the beauty of the state. We talk to him to dig out the best gems in the state.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Your experience in photography, whether you have been a photo journalist previously. Or if you took it up as a hobby? Where do you hail from?
Born to a Punjabi Hindu family in the mid 80s in Uttar Pradesh, I had a strong inclination towards arts at an early age. I went on to pursue the Arts in my undergraduation. After that, I ditched my family business to take up an acting and direction course from Sri Ram Centre for Performing Arts. Those were the defining years of my career where I spent most of the time scratching the surface of all things arts.
I then delved deeper into the world where paint brushes presented a fantasy world; a certain aalaap reverberated intensely across the streets; a few strings strummed to heighten the senses, a style of disciplined rhythmic moves represented a divine culture; a group of actors under spell portrayed a magnum opus, and a few men with a strong sense of their surrounding, culture and heritage captured random moments to make them look ethereal. It was this environment of creativity that became the foundation of my pedigree.
When did your ‘affair’ with the camera begin?
Cameras have always fascinated me since the time I was five and therefore when I turned a teenager, I decided to pursue a course on photography under the tutelage of immensely talented Nitin Rai along with the blessings of the famed Raghu Rai. I did my first assignment for UNICEF (then called the Care India) and the list goes on after which I got an oppurtunity to work for a project from Bijay Mandhani of GL Mandhani Trust, a philanthropic body. That is how my first coffee table book titled ‘Hyderabad - A City Born with a Silver Spoon - A photographic Odyssey by Varun Joshi’ happened.
I have also featured everything from the stunning Jain temples to the immaculately carved Dilwara temples in my coffeetable books. The latter are temples that are on par with the Taj Mahal itself in its beauty.
I also captured Pushkar in a new dimension where I have captured the town’s temples, ghats, annual fair, hotels, life and bazaar in a different light. Every such coffeetable book took me closer to India.
Hyderabad is a project dear to me and I got to know the hidden gems of the state, apart from bringing to life the heritage of the city.
How did you land this assignment? Was there a previous work. Or did you volunteer to do it for Telangana? You have done ten coffee table books in the past.
After seeing my work on Hyderabad coffee table book, Bijay Mandhani, from the GL Mandhani Trust which sponsored the book, gave me the assignment. I have done more than 15 coffee table books so far.
How long did you tour the state? Was the work done in one go or sporadically keeping in mind the best time to visit there?
I shot for almost six months in 2016 and it was pre-planned as to bring out the best pictures. A photographer must respect Nature and that was my plan to add different seasons as light plays a key role in photography. So it was sporadic, in line with the change of seasons.
Telangana does not have any hill station to boast about. But what places do you think are best in terms of the locales/rock formations etc?
Yes, Telangana does not have a hill station, but the beauty of places like Umamaheshwaram temple is such that cannot be seen from a distance. Shrouded in the thick Nallamalla forest that encircle the tall hills, the temple is a steep climb whose walking track is also devoid of sunlight. The cooler clime at this location has led to the place being called poor man’s Ooty.
How do you rate the roads, food, connectivity and stay here?
Roads are great even in small villages. Food is cheap and awesome, a bit spicy though. Accommodation is also affordable and clean. Telangana has left a lasting impression on my mind. It’s a beauty, for sure!