Anu Malhotra
In one photograph, young boys from Nagaland wear headdresses made of horns and feathers, a proud symbol of their tribe, in another, Apatani women of Arunachal Pradesh flaunt their large nose plugs and tattoos, in yet another, Tibetan nomads are shot against a vast mountain-scape.
These photographs, by documentary filmmaker Anu Malhotra are a part of her ongoing solo exhibition, ‘Soul Survivors’. Currently being held at the Stainless Gallery, the exhibition will shift to the National Museum in May.
Of course, each picture also tells a story. “The Apatani women were so beautiful that they would fall prey to neighbouring tribals and, therefore, nose plugs called yappin hoollo were devised to disfigure them,” says Malhotra, whose documentaries like The Apatani of Arunachal Pradesh and The Konyak of Nagaland have dealt with the Northeast.
Apart from 70 photographs on display, there are also slickly produced postcards, installations and merchandise like saris, pants, T-shirts and scarves that carry prints of the images shot by Malhotra.
While the 72x15 inch prints in Malhotra’s show, are technically superior and aesthetically pleasing, they do have a feel of the exotic about them. For most Indians, the Northeast India is an unknown region and images from there have a touristy appeal. All the more reason why
Malhotra, who has travelled widely in the Northeast, should have displayed some everyday images of of tribal life rather than ceremonial postcards.
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