Aman Mahajan shoots in Cambodia's sex and karaoke streets

Suparna Thombare / DNA

Monday, December 7, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Mumbai: Aman Mahajan's trip to the Cambodian city of Siem Reap turned out to be quite an adventure once he started interacting with prostitutes and karaoke bar girls. The one-month adventure built up an intensity that is visible in his version of underground photography.

Aman had travelled to the city for a workshop with underground photographer Antoine D Agata. "His works are really intense. Mine are nothing compared to his," says Aman who is a creative associate with Vidhu Vinod Chopra. And though Chopra has been making some really light films, Aman's work is a complete contrast.

Interestingly, Aman interacted with and developed closed relationships will all the women he has shot in this collection of 10 photographs. "I had always shot people from a distance. In this case, I have developed bonds with, eaten with and shared a drink with these women making it intimate and personal. Most of these women became my friends and there was a special love between us over time."

Though all the women were aware of the presence of the camera, they didn't pose for the pictures. "They knew I had a camera and that I was taking photographs. But they never knew when I'm going to click them because I would keep fooling around with my camera and shoot many other things around me," says Aman.

His photographs are painted in bright reds and blacks as he shot all these photographs from nine in the night to six in the morning. "I shot many pictures in karaoke bars,where these girls sang and danced. In this process if a man liked them, they would strike a deal for the night. These places would have bright red or blue lights," heexplains.

His pictures have interesting stories behind them. One of the most striking women in his photographs is actually not a woman, he is a man (see picture on first left). In another case, it took him three days to convince one woman to let him into her house and shoot bare pictures of her. "Many people who see my pictures have their own story to tell," he says, adding, "It was the most physically and emotionally intense experience of my life."