The Navarasa Suite

Sringara, Adbhuta, Hasya, Bhayanaka, Bhibhatsa, Karuna, Raudra, Veera, Shanta

The Navarasa Suite is a set of self portraits taken at the portrait  studio of Mr JH Thakker, based on the nine moods of Sanskrit poetics. Mr Thakker used to be a still photographer for Hindi films in the 1950s and ‘60s, and his black and white portraits of the famous stars of the era shot in his wonderful art deco studio in Mumbai are classics till today. I used his early style of expressionist lighting with elaborately created shadows and narrative elements to create the photographic tableaux…

Concept, production, direction: Pushpamala N
Photography: JH Thakker and Vimal Thakker India Photo Studio, Mumbai
A set of 9 sepia-toned silver gelatin prints
2003

Hasya
sepia toned photograph
26×20 inches
edition of 10
2003

Bhayanaka
sepia toned photograph
26×20 inches
edition of 10
2003

Karuna
sepia toned photograph
26×20 inches
edition of 10
2003

Veera
sepia toned photograph
26×20 inches
edition of 10
2003