Shakti Rupena – Celebrating Womanhood

From time immemorial, the Indian woman has always been somewhat of a mystery – desired for her sensuality, respected for her intelligence  and feared for her heroic gallantry. Renowned commercial and advertising photographer Chaitali Chakraborty, has undertaken to do the unthinkable – to document the journey of the eternal Indian woman over centuries through a medium she knows best – photography. 

As a modern woman herself, Chaitali has taken the liberty of mixing history with reality, transcending time and portraying iconic Indian women in a modern day setting. She imagines her Sita as a girl next door, having to prove herself over and over again through agnipariksha. Chaitali’s Rani Laxmibai meets her future incarnation in a woman officer of the Indian Army. 

Shakti Rupena is also a tribute to the new age transgender woman. In a bold step, perhaps for the first time in India, Chaitali has restrained from gender typifying them and instead photographed these women as she would any mainstream model. Often treated as outcasts in real life, these transgenders ooze oomph and glamour in every frame. 

Turning on the star quotient, Tollywood divas Debashree Roy, Sohini Sarkar, Anjana Basu have ignited life into some of Chaitali’s well conceptualized characters. 

Come join us in celebrating womanhood at the Abanindra Nath Tagore Gallery, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 9A, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata 700071 between 17 and 19th March, 2017 from 1500 hrs till 2000 hrs. 

This is a India World Foundation and ICCR initiative.