T Narayan
Behrupriya
T. Narayan is a renowned name in the creative field of Photography, especially Photojournalism. Three decades of diverse learning and experience in photojournalism ranging among others, Politics, Nature, Arts, Lifestyle, Human interest, wildlife and Sports. In these years Narayan has covered major socio-political events, be it Kashmir, Punjab Militancy, Riots, Mandal Commission aftermath, Babri Masjid Demolition, Cyclones, Tsunami, Lok Sabha Elections, Assembly Elections, Cricket World Cups etc. Narayan has been on the Jury for several National and International Photography competitions and his work has been exhibited in several exhibitions. Presently Narayan is pursuing his other passion of teaching Photography and regularly conducts workshops through his enterprise, “PhotoRoutes”. Having passed out from Delhi University with an Honors degree in Political Science and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, Narayan joined the Times of India in 1989 as a Staff Photographer and rose to become the National Photo Editor of India’s leading Newspapers and Magazines.
Behrupriya
A behrupiya is a traditional performing artist in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Even though this art form was popular and widespread once, it is on a decline with most practitioners living in poverty. The term behrupiya comes from two Sanskrit words bahu (many) and roop (form or appearance). Behrupiyas are impersonators, mostly known to perform in villages and markets. Currently, they are increasingly seen in stage shows, festivals, and functions. I have been photographing behrupiyas since last year. Whenever I go out for festivals or some public functions, I look for behrupriyas. They perform without bothering about the caste, creed, or religion of their spectators. This is especially true when they travel through villages and perform at any house irrespective of the social status of the people there. This is an ongoing photographic project for me as I plan to create a wide body of work related to the lives of these usually sidelined artistes. All the photographs in this series have been taken from various places across India.