Shot By My Guru Late Prof BW Jatkar

Shot By My Guru Late Prof BW Jatkar, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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Today I remember my Guru late Prof BW Jatkar a unique person a benchmark and a land mark in Indian Pictorial photography .

He was known as Black and White Jatkar.


A very close friend of my other Guru Dronacharya KG Maheshwari.

This was shot at the Epson workshop.

Prof Jatkar loved my family and visited us often whatever I am today is all due to the lessons of life I learnt from Jatkar Saab.

Whenever he was down or depressed we would go to Haji Ali and let our spirits soar ..

He was the one who introduced me to Salon Photography and I sent my pictures to the various salons along with him and Mr Maheshwari.

We shot the Dahi Handi together and the bullock cart races at Alibagh or Murud Janjira..

I still cant believe this doyen of photography is no more , he also introduced me to the various labs and our favorite was Swastik color Dadar lab that made our salon prints under the personal supervision of late Bhai Humne

Such was our adventurous spirit we got our prints done at Color Lab ,Mazda , Vishal Bhende , Fuji lab and the last place we visited was Foto Fast..below PSI Mumbai.

Prof BW Jatkar was a very outspoken man he called a spade a spade and had no patience to tolerate fools so he was not much liked by his detractors who till date are accumulating personal glory ..and doing zilch for photography even at club level.

Photography according to me is a Gospel of Peace and it is our duty to see that we bequeath it to our progeny , this is the ultimate aim , this is the greatest reward so as a pledge to my Gurus I became the Guru to a two year old child my grand daughter Marziya Shakir who may not know aperture or f stops but shoots comfortably with a Nikon D80 assisted by me.


Prof BW Jatkar was a teacher and under the branches of this banyan tree me and others like me learnt from this Marathi Manoos.


And whenever he called me on phone he began with saluting me with a Salamwalekum..
I would begin the same with Hari Om..

And mind you two places I saw the fabric of secularism in Mumbai was Bollywood and the world of Photography.

I was not a Muslim he was not a Hindu we were creative artists children of a God the greatest artistic creator of all.

Photography is a holistic science of healing , feeling paying its obeisance at the soul of Humanity.

Ever since he died I am ashamed to go and meet his wife but I pray for her his daughter is settled in America.

So today the breezy monsoonal winds kissing my face as I blog bought the message of love of this soul with whom I had a relationship akin to a father and son.

Every Photo Fair we would go together and all his students from JJ School of Arts would come touch his feat.

We are all human and we all have our quirks flaws , we may not be perfect but yet it is these teachers who were the light that showed us our path to perfection.

Honestly without a Guru a person is a rudderless ship he floats he does not sink but he never reaches the shores of his destiny.

My Guru made it possible he bought me to the shore and himself faded away into the twilight.

Time to time he remembers me so I end up remembering him too.


RIP
Black and White Jatkar
Hurry Home
Hari Om


Gurur Brahmaa Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devo Maheshwarah
Guru Saakshaata Parabrahma
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah