The Ultimate Hustle

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“If you want something from an audience, you give blood to their fantasies.
It’s the ultimate hustle.”
(Marlon Brando – American actor, 1924-2004)

This is a portrait of Bollywood actor, anchor and dancer, Hussain Kuwajerwala shot in his green room after a performance on stage.

Hussain is a popular TV star who is acting the leading role of the first-ever Bollywood musical, “Zangoora, The Gypsy Prince” at Kingdom of Dreams since 2010.

Recently we have been working together and it was amazing to see how much Hussain is giving to the audience.
His performance requires an incredible physical effort and concentration which he carries with a high professionalism.
In many ways his work reminds of Marlon Brando’s early movies.

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Manish’s Birthday Cake

 

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“All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.”
(George Harrison – English musician, singer, songwriter and lead guitarist of the Beatles, 1943–2001)

This is one more portrait of Manish, my brother, in order to celebrate his birthday.
It was shot along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).

(This year will be smooth and happy like a birthday cake…जन्मदिन मुबारक हो…Janmadina mubarak ho..!!!)

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Ticket To Success

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“Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same.”
(Audrey Hepburn – British actress and humanitarian, 1929–1993)

This is a recent portrait of my childhood friend and “soul sister” Valerie in order to celebrate her
birthday.
It is funny that she is sharing this day with my brother Manish, maybe those things don’t come by chance…
During all our lives we kept on supporting each other with pride and no judgment like brother and sister do.
Time goes by and nothing changes between us.
Valérie is an author, director and filmaker based in Hollywood.

(This year is YOUR year where you’ll be enjoying a well-deserved success…Joyeux Anniversaire…Love you…!!!)

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The Road Toward Freedom

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“I am interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos-especially activity that seems to have no meaning.
It seems to me to be the road toward freedom…
Rather than starting inside, I start outside and reach the mental through the physical.”
(Jim Morrison – American singer & poet, 1943-1971)

This man was bathing before sunset in the holy waters of the Ganges at Shivala ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
He smiled and laughed at my joke regarding his untied langot…

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HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

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I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH LOVE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY…

“May you all attain full inner illumination!
May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding!
May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self!
May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!”
(from the writings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati – Hindu spiritual teacher, 1887–1963)

This is also the opportunity to thank you all for commenting my pictures the way you do and for this amazing support which always gives me the energy to carry on my work…
A new year is starting in India and I want to share with you more emotions with the colours of life which keep on coming in front of my lens…

(This picture was shot in Varanasi (Benaras) during Dev Diwali as Anand was taking all of us on his boat for a ride along the Ganges).

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Light Of Lights

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“The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire.
All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self.
Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.”
(from the writings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati – Hindu spiritual teacher, 1887–1963)

I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH LOVE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY…

This is a picture of Jain ghat in Varanasi (Benaras) shot during Dev Diwali.

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Between the Skin and the Shirt

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“The most difficult thing for me is a portrait.
You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt.”
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographer, 1908–2004)

Sadanand Patil is a well-known Indian theatre actor who was trained at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, one of the foremost theatre institutions in the world.
This was shot in the gardens this during a break between two scenes of a movie in which we were both working together.
This brilliant actor is also one of the kindest and humblest person I met.

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More Than a Woman

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“An actor is something less than a man, while an actress is something more than a woman.”
(Richard Burton – Welsh Actor, 1925-1984)

This is a portrait of Bollywood actress Gauhar Khan.

Gauhar is known for her prominent role in “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year” (2009) and for the item song “Parda Parda” in “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai” (2010).
In 2009 she participated in a popular celebrity dance show, ” Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” where she ended up as the runner up.
Since 2010, she joined the cast of the Bollywood musical, “Zangoora, The Gypsy Prince” at Kingdom of Dreams.
She is also featuring with her sister Nigaar in the popular TV show “The Khan Sisters” which started in 2011.

This picture was shot at her place in Delhi, early in the morning while she was having breakfast, it was during the break between two sequences of the movie in which we were both working together.

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Gauhar in the movie “Ishaqzaade” (2012) 

Seizing the Instant

 

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“Of all forms of expression, photography is the only one which seizes the instant in its flight.”
(Henri Cartier-Bresson – French photographe, 1908–2004)

Those young men formed a human pyramid in the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (benaras).
It was at Panchaganga ghat which is one of the water-front sacred sites of the Eternel city.
As the name indicates this place is supposed to be the confluence of five rivers such as the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Saraswati, the Kirana and the Dhupapapa.
During summers (May-June) people come there early in the morning in order to find a kind of freshness.

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Happy Ganesh Chatrurthi

 

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“On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, meditate on the stories connected with Lord Ganesha early in the morning, during the Brahmamuhurta period.
Then, after taking a bath, go to the temple and do the prayers of Lord Ganesha.
Offer Him some coconut and sweet pudding.
Pray with faith and devotion that He may remove all the obstacles that you experience on the spiritual path.
Worship Him at home, too.
You can get the assistance of a pundit.
Have an image of Lord Ganesha in your
house.
Feel His Presence in it.

Don’t forget not to look at the moon on that day; remember that it behaved unbecomingly towards the Lord.
This really means avoid the company of all those who have no faith in God, and who deride God, your Guru and religion, from this very day.

Take fresh spiritual resolves and pray to Lord Ganesha for inner spiritual strength to attain success in all your undertakings.

May the blessings of Sri Ganesha be upon you all!
May He remove all the obstacles that stand in your spiritual path!
May He bestow on you all material prosperity as well as liberation!”
(Swami Sivananda – Hindu spiritual teacher, 1887 – 1963)

Ganesha Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the occasion of birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival.
It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati.
Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

This picture of Lord Ganesha was shot in a temple of Khajuraho located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

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