Community cook-out
, Pushkar, 1988Power Struggle
, Pushkar, 1979Ripples
, 1998Sun-splash
, 1979Traveling Light
, 1979Robed in mystery
, 1977In the world of contemporary Indian photography, Sudhir Kasliwal is perhaps the most eloquent emissary of the Rajasthan people. Internationally renowned for its majestic forts and palaces, Rajasthan has attracted many a photographer eager to capture there relics of a bygone era of pomp and splendour. Sudhir’s photographs are different.
People oriented, they take the viewer away from the musty past reflected in these inanimate architectural remains to a throbbing present, choosing images from life as it is lived in rural Rajasthan. Sudhir’s Rajasthan is the Rajasthan of the common folk, and the concerns that move them – a village fair, a woman baking her daily bread, a cow girl lilting homeward. In more senses than one Sudhir breaks away from stereotypes: if there is no enthusiasm to show the glory, there is not attempt to cash in on images of poverty and squalor either.
There is neither nostalgia nor undiluted melancholia. Says Sudhir “My effort is to capture things as they are, may be with a positive touch. Happiness is an attitude of mind and is not necessarily related to one’s material circumstances. People can be happy and they are happy in our country and I want to show the outside world just that”.
The bond between a mother and child is among the most photographed subjects, yet capturing its essence without slipping into the predictable is a challenge. In this collection, the photographer moves beyond sentimentality, seeking moments that are both universal and deeply personal. Each frame holds an intimacy that is neither ...
From the timeless charm of hand-pulled carts to the sleek speed of modern highways, the way India moves has transformed over the decades. Captured over 60 years, Sudhir Kasliwal’s lens has traced this evolution with an acute sense of time and transformation. Through textures, tones, and the interplay of light, ...
"From a bird's eye view, the world is a stunning work of art, a masterpiece of colour, texture, and pattern." - Unknown