Sumaiya Iqbal tells the story of Rahul Talukdar, who already at the age of 24 has achieved acclaim internationally as a photographer
It is not everyday that you come across thriving raw talent paired with undying passion, that too at the mere age of 24. Rahul Talkudar is one such individual and anyone who experiences his photographs will admit that he is a rare find. For this young man, what started off as merely an interest ended up as a career choice, one being sculpted with utmost dedication and perseverance.
‘I primarily identify myself as a documentary photographer. However, my engagement with photography began with my love for street photography and the desire to capture people’s moments, their expressions and emotions,’ Rahul says.
To pursue his passion, Rahul joined Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in 2011 for a three year advanced diploma. It was since then that his newfound love for the field of documentary photography emerged and he began to work on the various socio-political and cultural issues of Bangladesh in the modern day. His most recognised work till date is the project he undertook individually to capture the moments in the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, one of the world’s most horrific garment-factory disasters till date. It was this group of photos that brought about numerous opportunities and showed the world what this young man was capable of. In the same year, he followed up on the movement for and against the accused at the International Crimes, Tribunal in Bangladesh.
After his work on Rana Plaza, Rahul was awarded a number of awards and received scholarships. In 2014, he won the ‘World Press Photo Award’ in the Spot News category, an award given for photo journalism and one that most photographers aim to achieve once in their lifetime. What Rahul managed to do at 23 is what most photographers dream to accomplish. He also received the Ian Parry Scholarship for young photographers who are attending a full-time photographic course or are under the age of 24. He was also the runner up in the Alexia Foundation Student Grant in 2015 for his work in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster. This year, Rahul won the Sony World Photography Awards 2015, in the conceptual-Professional category. He also bagged awards like PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Magnum Photos 30 under 30, 4th Lumix Foto Festival – Freelens Award and International Photography Awards (IPA) 2015.
At home he shone at ‘Celebrating Life 2012’, the International Inter University Photography Exhibition (IIUPE) arranged by NSU’s Photography Club (2011/2012) and ‘Through the Lens Out of the Box’ event (2011/2012). His works have been exhibited locally and internationally in countries including the UK, USA, China, Germany, India and Greece. He also had his pictures featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Sunday Times and many other international publications.
Born to a humble household with his father being a government official, Rahul has been constantly travelling with the change of his father’s postings and went to schools in many areas of the country. It was during this time that his ability to observe people and the ways they express themselves developed. A memorable time during his early days was the time he spent with his father’s handy cam, a device that allowed only 15 photographs to be stored on memory at a time. With the limited number of pictures that could be taken, little Rahul carefully picked out the best scenes to be shot and kept them stored as pieces of history.
His works are ones which explode with emotion and reach out to the one taking a look. With his keen interest in black and white photography, Rahul enjoys the effect it has on his work although he does sometimes venture into the world of colours in cases where black and white simply do not reflect the true essence of the art.
‘I have always strived to capture the fleeting moments of expressions; I enjoy photographing people,’ he says, explaining that people in this part tend to be more dynamic and expressive. They have the most beautiful to the strangest of expressions and the best part is that most people in the country love having their picture taken. Bangladesh is truly a heaven for photography enthusiasts and professional photographers with its festive culture, beautiful as well as dramatic people and colourful events,’ he adds.
With the craze for cameras and photography going up few notches in modern day Bangladesh, photography is a field many engage in. It is pursued by people from all walks of life and has significant demand. The specialisations on documentary photography and photo journalism are also making progress within the community as people, internationally as well as nationally, appreciate the works.
When asked about the struggles he has to face while photographing, he mentions having to be subject to suspicion from law enforcement forces and other organisations particularly during times of extreme political instability or national movements such as movement revolving war crimes in 2013. Another main concern he shares with many others in the field of photography is finance.
‘It is hard for documentary photographers, photojournalists and the others to finance their projects. We have to make every day decisions of what should be spent on and whether spending on the activity is actually worth it,’ mentions Rahul.