Neil Six Pack and Me

Neil Six Pack and Me, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,303 items / 601,898 views

Neil stays in the neighborhood , and is the Christian face of the BJP Party at Bandra Reclamation, he is an ardent hardcore supporter of the party , and his smiling face is in the forefront during most of the events like Ganesha Chaturthi, Gokul Ashtami hosted by Advocate Ashish Shelar candidate of the party for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
This time he is canvassing for his leader and hardly has time , he is unemployed too , and is studying also.
He works out at a local gym, and loves to show of his eight packs to the smaller kids, who in return laugh it off as mere six packs , some cheeky ones call him four pack Neil.But Neil is a fun loving guy , a go getter, sincere honest and helpful.
He lives among Muslims and speaks their street lingo with ease.

He dreams of becoming a Mumbai Police Inspector and beating the shit of criminals..

He is taller than me so I stood one step higher on the raised platform, to appear taller than him and he is laughing at this mischievously...

Marziya's Hand

Marziya's Hand, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,294 items / 601,176 views

holding the
pulse
of the pencil
firmly
in her hand
marziya
the mind
of the pencil
understands
the pencil
in all its humility
is at
marziyas
command
creating
a world
within a world
touching people
in distant land
giving hope
giving peace
giving love
to a castle
she builds
on sand

Decoding the Shia Child ...Marziya Shakir

Decoding the Shia Child ...Marziya Shakir, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,300 items / 601,647 views

A Shia child carries the credentials of Faith embedded in Hussainiyat.

From the day she has was born Marziya has intuitively shown a sudden surge towards the faith she has inherited as a Shia child.

I have shown Marziya all religiosity every time she accompanied me for a shoot ..but it is her faith that she follows with a frenzy , we are liberal Muslims , modern to a certain extent living in mutual compatibility with everyone else.

Marziya has been bought up by her parents who are less adventurous than I am towards other religiosity..Her father a soft ware programmer is a Shia scholar and a teacher .Her mother a devout Shia housewife from Kazmain Lucknow ..

We have been Mumbaikars as Mumbai is our home and our destiny.

Marziya has never seen a Moharam procession, never seen any blood letting that is part of our ritualism, but she has attended majlis, ladies majlis..

She has seen me come home with a bandage on my head but it never bothered her , the dagger I use to cut my head during Ashura or during Chehlum does not belong to me , I use the same one that is used by others too, all belonging to my good friend Habib Nasser pioneer of the Iraqi Kama Matam in Mumbai.


So Marziya took me by surprise while sitting on the dining table , she picked up the butter knife and began slashing her head , to the chant of Ya Hussain...this was many months back, and she did it again in the kitchen this evening.

At my house its only me who cuts his head , my children dont partake in this ritual.
So Marziya does things that I cant explain , this was important before you misinterpret my following pictures.

I shot all of them this evening , beginning with this one where Marziya is reciting a Noha and beating her chest chanting Ya Hussain in her baby lingo..

Marziya Writes

Marziya Writes, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,294 items / 601,176 views

marziya writes
the inner lamp
of knowledge
she ignites
a healthy body
a wealthy mind
she unites
sparkling
scintillating
a poem of life
she recites
her shadows
her highlights
bound together
on her website
23 month old
she delights
reaching
providence's
pristine
heights
like a little
dove in flight
every moment
she excites
a future poet
or a playwright
a photographer
midst arc lights
her heritage
her birthright
peace
the only hope
for human rights


to randall der joel...

Marziya No Writers Block

Marziya No Writers Block, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,294 items / 601,176 views

her vivid
mind fertile
ready stock
marziya
no writers block
gods gift
gods bounty
round the clock
adept with a
camera
awe and shock
gentle as a deer
solid as a rock
non stop
she loves to talk
bandra bazar road
where she moonwalks
making mr bean like faces
marziya and the beanstalk

Shia Eyes Reservoir of Pain

Shia Eyes Reservoir of Pain, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,287 items / 601,096 views

I did not plan to write what I wrote below when I posted this picture of Marziya my studious writing loving grand daughter , the look in her eyes bought forth words , Marziya does not go to school yet but her surroundings are school enough..the visibility of the unseen is what she sees ..
There is another picture of her I could never shoot , but will describe it to you, imitating the elders in the house she will pick up a book hold it in both her hands and will begin reciting a noha, than she will balance it in one hand and beat her chest with another hand - we call this matam e hussain.

I shot all these pictures while the house was watching Big Boss and Marziya went about her writing work , and a thought did come to my mind , how can Bakhtiyar and Tanaz Irani leave a 18 month old child to go and live in the house of Big Boss.. How could Big Boss even think of having both of them as contenders beats me this is child abuse and the silent voyeuristic soul of the nation watches it without raising a voice..I am a grand father a day without Marziya kills me..

Money , Glamour Glitz Amitabh Bacchan nothing can be bigger than a childs love for the parents and if Shanti Bai is bringing the child up like Bhaktiyar said than curse the mothers womb that gives birth to a child..



shia eyes
reservoir of pain
tears that we shed
for akka moulah hussain
every day is ashura
bleeding waters
of the Euphrates
flowing through our veins
our hearts hold karbala
our spiritual domain
shah ast hussain
badshah ast hussain
1400 years of a protest
against terrorism
they call us insane
on the soul of Islam
humanity was slain
deen ast hussain
deen panah ast hussain
hussainiyat a path of peace
in our souls we retain
sardaad na dad dast,
dar daste yazeed
we say it vociferously
again and again
haqq ie bina la lilaha
ast hussain
moharam
black clothes
the chant of hussain
from child to father
from father to child
an unbroken chain
dil mashke sakina
hussain al minni
wa ana minal hussain


optional title
Big Boss and Child Abuse

A Grand Father Reflects

A Grand Father Reflects, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

99,268 items / 600,764 views

This was shot an year back during the Nikah of my son Saif Shakir, the monsoonal showers lashing the soul of Mumbai have made me nostalgic..time has passed and Marziya grows older and wiser.. today she was with me for a political rally of Independent candidate Rahebar Khan , and did not hesitate to shoot him in the rains..

I had long hair but had decided to cut it off after Moharam..the blood stains on my artificial blond hair looked weird..I cut my head twice an year once during Ashura and again during Chehlum..40 day of Moharam.

I had also planned to pierce my cheeks with an 18 feet rod during the Maryamma Feast at Mahim but kept it for next year ..if Glenn Losack is around to shoot me..