A few years ago, I came across some aerial pics of forts of the Sahyadri mountains in Maharashtra. The images were quite popular among trekkers giving them a bird's eye view. Little did I know that the man behind the camera was Shiv Sena politician Uddhav Thackeray.Uddhav Thackeray was invited to the BMM convention at Philadelphia this year for an exhibition of his aerial photography of Maharashtra. The photos are compiled in a reference book titled 'Jai Maharashtra' which was distributed free to registered members. I did not attend the convention but got hold of the book. Thanks to my aunt & cousin : )
Press releases from BMM have been particular in emphasizing that Thackeray's visit to the convention was not political in nature. “I am here as a photographer and not as the leader of the Shiv Sena. For me, this convention is an opportunity to display Maharashtra’s rich cultural heritage to future generations,” he explains.
Thackeray gave his first public interview outside India which was conducted by noted compere Sudhir Gadgil. The interview was almost 1 hr 15 minutes long, with a few minutes of discussion on photography related matters:
The 40 page soft cover book has 66 photos divided into four sections:
- Forts of Maharashtra
- Aamchi Mumbai
- Places of Worship
- Beautiful Land
The book starts with a photo of a helicopter in the background with Uddhav Thackeray holding two cameras in his hands, and the following prologue:
All photos (except maybe one) are taken from a helicopter. Numerous articles have been published in newspapers which provide 'behind the scenes' information. Mahesh Vijapurkar - a journalist writes about the endeavor behind this aerial photography in the article Uddhav Thackeray and those scenic forts and Santosh Harhare provides more input in View from Above. The photos were taken in 2003 and I am sure exhibitions are being held in Mumbai on a regular basis. The first exhibit took place at the Jehangir Art Gallery on January 19, 2004 and was named Where Eagles Dare. Balgandharva Art Gallery in Pune had the exhibit from April 19-22, 2004.
Coming back to the book, each photo comes with a caption both in English and Marathi. I wish the images were larger enabling one to appreciate details. One thing is clear that this is essentially a reference book to accompany exhibitions. Text and commentary is kept minimal. Maharashtra offers many landscapes and not many aerial photographs of historic forts and other beautiful places have been printed, so this compilation is definitely a nice addition.
I will look forward to the day when a larger hard-cover book is published with in-depth discussion on the places photographed. For now, you can view the photos online here.
I will look forward to the day when a larger hard-cover book is published with in-depth discussion on the places photographed. For now, you can view the photos online here.
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