At a time when photography was still an artform on the rise, and almost exclusive to men, twin sisters Debalina Mazumder and Manobina Roy stood out. Born to a middle class family in 1919 in Varanasi, the sisters embraced photography at a time when women had little choice but to remain within their domestic sphere. This week, an exhibition chronicling the twin sisters’ works is being held at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur.
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Running till Oct 25, Twin Sisters With Cameras, curated by Sabeena Gadihoke, a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi; Mallika Leuzinger, a Fellow in Colonial and Global History at the German Historical Institute, London and Tapati Guha-Thakurta, a professor and former director of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, is a tribute to not only the sisters’ incredible body of work but also the rich legacy of amateur photography in India.
As a curator and filmmaker Gadihoke first came across the twin sisters’ works while on a quest to unearth the legacy of women photographers. “I had written a book about Homai Vyarawalla, India’s first woman photojournalist, and was intrigued by the possibility of there being other women photographers, perhaps not professionals,” she shares. Her exploration led her to Debalina and Manobina whom she met about 24 years ago. “I was intrigued by the possibility of women using their domestic lives and motherhood to pursue their art. Being able to pursue photography and their craft through their lives as women, within the domestic sphere,” she adds.
Leuzinger, who was inspired to pursue a PhD on the twin sisters’ works by Gadihoke’s initial works, underscores the broader narrative encapsulated in the exhibition. “It’s not just about the lives of the two sisters, but also the bigger culture around photography,” she says, adding. “The sisters’ father, a member of the Royal Photographic Society in London, played a pivotal role in nurturing their love for photography. They eventually go and join these portfolio clubs and amateur photography clubs, showing this fascinating history of their lives in photography and also the rich history of amateur clubs and exhibitions in the country.”
The sisters, despite their distinct life paths, shared an unbreakable bond over their love for photography. Debalina, settling in New Alipore, embraced domesticity with five children while keeping her passion for photography alive. Her lens often wandered through the picturesque landscapes during family holidays, capturing the serenity and expanse of nature.
Manobina, on the other hand, embraced the bustling life of Bombay alongside her husband, the legendary filmmaker Bimal Roy. Her photographic journey was intertwined with the cinematic world, capturing behind-the-scenes moments and the vibrant urban life of Bombay. The transition from Calcutta to Bombay marked a new chapter in her photographic narrative, blending the traditional with the modern, the familiar with the new.
The six-part exhibition features contributions from The Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, and Joy Roy, Manobina’s son. The diverse array of photographs, spanning from intimate family portraits to the sisters’ European sojourns in the late ’50s, paints a vivid narrative of evolving lives and artistic pursuits. “This exhibition includes life in the family bungalow that Manobina Roy and her husband lived in, the sisters’ travels to Europe in the late ’50s, and portraits of their children as they grew older and of themselves, and so on,” Leuzinger adds.
Entry free. On till October 25, 10 am to 8 pm. At BIC, Domlur.