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Bollywood actress
Bollywood Ecstasy © Jaisingh Nageswaran / 35 mm digital camera

Bollywood Ecstasy

By Jaisingh Nageswaran

For about half its life, the Indian film industry has been dominated by Bollywood, at least in terms of presence in society, popularity and scale of productions. Bombay took over as the major center of film production in India from Calcutta, and gave birth to the Bollywood – the name itself is a clear homage to the ideal it aspired to. Bollywood has since dictated the imagination of the majority of the middle class of the country, directly and indirectly; and in this aspect, the presence of the still photographer in the set is often underestimated.

Still photography during film productions began with the purpose of maintaining continuity, and for publicity. It is mainly the second use that propelled it into significance, with many photographers achieving candid (at times staged) portraits and capturing valuable moments during film production. Along with film posters, working stills or publicity stills have acquired a historical value, and in parallel, the approach of the photographers have also evolved to give the genre seriousness.



Bollywood Ecstasy © Jaisingh Nageswaran / 35 mm digital camera
Jai Singh Nageswaran

Jaisingh Nageswaran was born in 1978 in the South Indian village of Vadipatti, Tamil Nadu. Presently being based in Mumbai, India, he is interested in documenting the lives of different kinds of people. Being a serious cinema enthusiast, his fascination for the moving image led him to work in the Bollywood. He has worked as an on-Set Stills Photographer on films as diverse as: Yamla Pagla Deewana, Khoon Maaf, Ra One, From Sydney with love, Kai Po Che, Yaan, Baar baar Dekho etc.,

Abul Kalam Azad is a contemporary Indian photographer and Founder Chairman of Ekalokam Trust for Photography. He is also Editor-in-Chief of PhotoMail Magazine. Abul’s photographic works are predominantly autobiographical and explore the areas of politics, culture, contemporary micro-history, gender, and eroticism. His works attempt a re-reading of contemporary Indian history – the history in which ordinary people are absent and mainly provided by beautiful images and icons.



Published on July 27, 2017

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