My Bare Feet

My Bare Feet, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

my bare feet
shooting the passion
the spiritual angst
of every Indian feast
last but not the least
peace
hijacked by the
rogue mullah
the rogue sadhu
the rogue priest
political patronage
where hate meets
tears on the soul
of humanity
mans ultimate defeat
mans fate not god
only man loves to cheat

Shooting A World of Pain Through a Blog

Shooting A World of Pain Through a Blog, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I have posted over 1000 pictures of the Chehlum in Mumbai 2010 set at my Flickr photo stream, there is about another 600 pictures I have to upload before I bring this series to an end and continue with my back log of pictures shot of the Dhamal and the trans gender community of India ..all shot at Haji Malang climbing the mountains barefeet .

This is not just a Shia bloggers take on Shiasm , I shoot life and pain as I see it on the viewfinder of my soul.

I shoot all religiosity as an Indian , and not just because I am a Shia , I respect my cultural inheritance , my faith does not get blown away in the winds because I shoot other faiths too, I give respect to my friends Hindu faith or my friends Christian faith I get respect for my faith too..this is what we call two hand clapping, you cant clap with one hand.

Yes I shoot the Naga Sadhus I shoot Lalbaghcha Raja Durga Ma and all Mumbai socio religious events..
No I dont shoot the Standard Chartered Marathon Race nor do I shoot the over hyped South Mumbai Kala Ghoda Festival.. the poor man is till poor after the festival gets over the poor child is still poor after the great race gets over..the people who lost their houses in the Behrmpada fire are still living houseless without hope under the bridge
I am an impulsive photographer behind the camera I become a part of what I shoot.. and this should not be held against my poetic relay of life that I showcase as a blog..

Yes I shoot what media will not even waste time to shoot whatever community they belong too.I remember my Maharashtrain bhajiwala and his wife once told me sir why dont you shoot our Goddess Jari Maris procession , I went and shot the event and posted 1000 pictures on the internet of this humble community that are still selling vegetables , will still be vegetables on the roads in spite of what one talks of Amchi Mumbai and Jai Maharashtra , the poor Maharashtrian is not going to be housed in the mills that Marathi leaders have bought solely for redevelopment and commerce..the koli women who sold me fish , now her grand daughter in law sells the fish to me.. this is Truth you can see it at any fishmarket close to your house.. I have changed they are not allowed to change..

So I am human when I shoot pictures ..I dont shoot dabbawalas or hijdas to male a living nor do I shoot to get cookie points I shoot so you see reality as I see it..quite differently from the reality that is not even shown in newspapers...

But yes I shoot my faith passionately whether you call me a rafdi , or a heretic I am happy with the religion my mother bequeathed to me in the tears of her womb..yes I am a Shia and I dont necessarily have to wear my identity an arm band or cut my head to prove my point..

I stopped posting my back log of Haji Malang pictures which is posted as a story board as I got involved with Chehlum, and as my uploading is at snails pace it has taken a lot of time,I was invited to a lot of processions after Chehlum but could not make it my feet are festered and in bad shape..

I shot Ashura in Hyderabad over 3000 pictures and I shot this more passionately than I shoot Moharam in my own city.. and sadly due to unavoidable reasons I wont be able to go and shoot te Hardwar Kumbh.. my Naga Guru has given up hopes of my reaching his Ashram..

So I dont expect a Lucknow Maulana to understand why I shoot what I shoot...

The Shia Samurais of Mumbai

The Shia Samurais of Mumbai, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

A Bleeding Bond of Faith

A Bleeding Bond of Faith, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Shooting Shiasm at Grass Root Level

Shooting Shiasm at Grass Root Level, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Cutting My Head The Second Time at Shia Cemetery

Cutting My Head The Second Time at Shia Cemetery, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

As I cut my head open again with the camera dangling round my neck and it was impulsiveness on my part , I took a dagger from a persons hand removed my earlier bandage and cut open my earlier wound all over again , leaping in the air with the dagger a metaphoric dance of death that I call Tandav on the Soul of Shimr..

.Habib Nasser took my camera and shot two frames for posterity.

And I am drenched to the bone and in this condition I shot the angst of the Shias on Chehlum day within the walk way of Rehmatabad Shia cemetery Mazgaon Mumbai.