When I heard about Mr. Das and his work in the field of photography, I was quite intrigued. To be honest, one does not encounter an Inspector like Mr. Das, who has made a name for himself in the realms of visual art, everyday. Mr. Anirudhha Das is currently serving as Officer-in-Charge, Foreigner Enquiry Section, Kolkata Police. Thus, when the topic of setting up a meeting place came up, I had already made up my mind. I met Mr. Das at the famous ‘Metro Gali’ of Esplanade, known for being the one-stop location for everything related to the camera, there can be no place more familiar for a photographer in Kolkata.
After the initial pleasantries, I suggested that we should find a cosy corner to chat up and maybe have a cup of tea as well and the Inspector gladly complied. We found a tea stall right beside the National Museum and started talking.
As I ordered two cups of tea, Mr. Das explained why and how he entered the world of photography. Mr. Das had a keen interest in art since his school days in Santiniketan when he was introduced to painting. He explicitly mentioned why the translation of thoughts into something meaningful and mesmerizing only through simple lines grabbed his attention the way it did. This is why he considers painting as the mother art form. The art of painting and especially the abstract form and how it facilitates the co-existence of shaped reality and the shapeless unconscious has always fascinated Mr. Das and he firmly believes that the same principle of abstract art is reflected in each and every one of us and we all live within the juxtaposition of conscious and sub-conscious. It is this belief that has inspired him to enter the world of photography. The fundamental question he encountered was if an idea or a moment can be thought about and painted, why can’t it be photographed as well and it is this question that motivates Mr. Das every time he picks up his camera.
I was, for the first few moments taken aback by the sheer oratory skill he has and the omnipresent sense of an artist that Mr. Das embodies. By this time, our tea had arrived. After taking a few sips, I insisted Mr. Das to continue and asked him about his first camera. He said that his first ever camera was an old Kodak KB-10, the pictures were taken using that one had to be developed later on with no chance for correction whatsoever. Then he moved on to Canon power shot. While taking pictures in his canon power-shot Mr. Das got heaps of praise from photo critics which inspired him to get a DSLR and the first DSLR he bought was Canon 600D, a basic DSLR according to Das, in 2012.
It is precisely around this time he rightly understood that for a passion to grow into something professional needs technical and theoretical knowledge. Thus, he took the tutelage of one of the most renowned photographers based in Kolkata, Mr. Arghya Chatterjee. The basic course and subsequently the advanced courses were completed by Mr. Das under his supervision. Das in 2013 specialized in ‘Model and Fashion Photography’. He bought his current camera Canon 5D mark iii in 2014 and since then he has won numerous accolades in national and international competitions.
His first photo exhibition was in 2012 where his work was exhibited in Kolkata Book Fair. Now, he participates in every major exhibition in town at various prominent venues such as ICCR, Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Gallery gold, Gaganendra Pradarshanshala and Birla Academy every year.
His photos are selected by the internationally renowned magazine–“Vogue” and Vogue Italia. His participation in and acceptance of his pictures by National Geography’s ‘Your Shot’ is also praiseworthy. His two photographs got selected by Lensculture.com for their Portrait Awards-2018. In addition to this, his pictures have been published in various news publications, such as ‘Ei Samay’, ‘Ebela’, Telegraph(T2) and magazines like ‘And Photography’ and ‘Photography Charchaa’.
Mr. Das also acknowledged the unwavering support he gets from his family, especially his wife. The father in Mr. Das believes that his work would one day inspire his son; at least he wishes it does.
Speaking about his future plans, Das said he was planning to buy a new 70-300mm lens and stressed on the need to reinvent oneself and how he wishes to keep learning about this art form that has given him so much in life—a new passion, a new intensity and a new perspective.
By Subhajit Bhattacharya/ Ranabir Bhattacharya/ Anubhav Chakraborty
