BLACK AND WHITE JATKAR RIP

BLACK AND WHITE JATKAR RIP, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

For certain is death for the born
And certain is birth for the dead;
Therefore over the inevitable
Thou should st not grieve

Bhagavad Gita (250 BC - 250 AD), Chapter 2

Prof BW Jatkar a great creative art photographer left his mortal remains on 31 July 2009.
I was informed of his sad demise by close friend Venay Pralkar, a few minutes back, I updated my earlier post of the Prof , that I had written 24 April 2007, as a blog.

Prof BW Jatkar was one of my photo gurus , he influenced me and we were very close , though I had not met him since almost two years , after his accident and hip bone injury.

I had spoken to him a month back and we talked about old times.


His wife too was not keeping well, and as I write this I was informed by Venay she is in hospital.

I cannot get across to his house number.

All my street photography, the bullock cart race, the seagulls shot from the boat, my photo sessions shot by Mr KG Maheshwari at Maheshwari House were in the presence of Jatkar Saab as we respectfully called him.

Prof Jatkar taught Photography at JJ School of Arts once upon a time and was the ex President of Photographic Society , and led from the front , a versatile creative photographer , a great human being.

Prof Jatkar was loud , baritone voice but was meek and humble in real life, he was a tough task master , but he saw that you got results..it was Prof BW Jakar who introduced my to Mr KG Maheshwari, and we three were almost thick , but not as thieves , we took part in National and International Salon Photography..

It was Prof Jatkar who got me enrolled at FIP Kolkatta , , IIPC Delhi.
Because of the Prof Jatkar I became a member of PSA (America ) too.

Jatkar Saab loved caps and I made sure I gave him some as I had a large collection, I once stitched a safari suit for him, that pleased him a lot, I must confess whatever I am today , it is because of this great man, he made sure I unlearnt photography, and he talked about Kundalini uncoiling the serpent within - the Indian form of Cartier Bresson's decisive moment.

There are far too many anecdotes , memories , he taught me printing, taking me personally to Mazda Color Lab, Color Art Mahim, Swastik Dadar was our haunt till Bhai Humne was alive.


Will the advent of digital , we both bought Nikon D 70 , gave our prints to Foto Fast, we kept bumping into each other at the various Photographic Society Annual day functions.

And I am sure if he was alive he would have invited me to come with him to attend the World Photography Day function on 19 August..wherever he went.

He loved his daughter Shivani and cried a lot if I ever asked about him about her , he had some emotional differences with his son , but they were sorted out, I would not want to hurt his memory by writing anything adverse.

I always told him to go and live with Shivani who is settled in America , but he was a pucca Mumbaikar..and very close to Mr Uddhav Thackeray too.

He was a photographers photographer .

I am happy that he was one of my Gurus and through this blog post I offer him Shraddanjali , may his Soul rest in Everlasting Peace..

People like Jatkar Saaab walk this planet once in a life time leaving pictures , awards , certificates of merits , and nostalgic moments as memories that Time can never erase..

I hope Shivani and her brother , their mother come to terms with the passing away of this giant of a man, larger than life but a candle burning in the wind..of timelessness.

Firoze Shakir
Photographerno1
5 August 2009
8.36 pm
Bandra Mumbai

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