When You Shoot Make Sure Your Camera Aligns With Your Vision And Sense Of Poetry

And shoot so as not to miss the tears in your own eyes
his pain he held back his bad lucky vs good karma on
the battlefield where dreams hastily die ..clipped wings
of his sorrow as he tries to fly falling back on the face of
his remorse his selfless sacrifice ,, what was troubling him
i did not ask..as he knew i was aware of his inner pain his
restless angst seeking worldly paradise .. his back hurting
with the welts of the whip as it tore open as it sliced ..blood
as frozen ice ..oh mother ambe he cried ..so much sweltering
sorrow on the wings of hope astride ...impoverished dreams
that it was death to hide ,,,quivering shivering as pride beneath his legs slides ..falteringly with every effort to reach the shores of hope humanity he tried ...much before his soul morbidly died

The Whippers Of Ma Ambe

Over the years there are  few communities I shot with a passionate zeal.

One of them was the Hijras of India ,,I shot them as a documentary of their life style , and there were many layers of hijras  , the mujra dancer hijras , the beggar hijras , the dance performers at marriages mostly Muslim marriages or Nikah..even circumcisions .The hijras begging in long distance trains as well as locals , the hijra bawas shamans exorcists and the eunuch children all locked up from public view . I also shot the hijra prostitutes of the Mumbai cages red light areas .

Hijras stalk me so I shoot them even now including the hijras and hijra impostors at traffic signals ,, I shot the Hijra Bollwood actresses , and the Hijra reigning queens .. and the old hags .

Next was these Whippers , I shot them their kids wives extensively and at my old workplace near Bandra Waterfield road all of them came to see me including the Hijras , beggar kids Naga Sadhus Rafaees and other exotic ethnicity ..

I left no forwarding address so most even dont know where I am..

I shot the whippers who beat themselves with a thick cloth snakelike whip ,I have whipped myself with their whips overcoming pain and the heaviness of the whip , it has a holistic effect they told me and cures all ailments of the back and neck.

Next I shot the Dabbawalas , I shot them passionately too and most of the Dabbawalas of Bandra know me very well I guess I must be the only one shooting them prolifically ,

You know I shoot Muslim beggars all over India , why Muslim beggars because they are the most backward lot and the rich Muslims use them for Charity to build their homes in Heaven.

I shot Kashmiri migrants who without deformities beg with their young pretty daughters and their womenfolk ,,

I shot Malangs  I am a Malang too I got a call last evening he has invited me to the largest Malang gathering in Madhya Pradesh but I dont think I will make it .

I shot the Rafaees and the spiritual cross dressers known as Sadha Suhagins , or Musa Suhagins bearded all male who dress as women are married have children too.

Than I shot the Gay Pride for a few years including the cross dressers but I stopped shooting it since a few years .

I shot the Naga Sadhus my Guru is a Naga Sadhu from Juna Akhara I shot the last Nasik Kumbh and the Maha Kumbh.

I also document the Shia ethos  the Sufi ethos Hindu rituals and the Christian ethos ..

So these are whippers I shot in 2007