Leaving a secured job at 32 to follow one’s passion is not everyone’s cup of tea. But that’s what 36-year-old Saurabh Dasgupta did four years back — leave his job and struggle for more than a year to gain a foothold as a freelance photographer in Kolkata. A trained graphic designer, Saurabh worked in the IT industry in Kolkata and Delhi for the past ten years. “I used to eat out a lot with friends and family and always took pictures of food and my friends observed that I had an eye for detail. My friends pushed me to pursue photography as a profession and I too felt that it would be the best platform to showcase my creative side,” recalls Saurabh.
With support from friends and parents, this self-taught lensman embarked on a journey that was definitely not strewn with petals. “Initially, I did food and street photography for two years but gradually shifted to fashion portfolio shoots from 2017 since that gave me more space for creativity and experimentation,” he tells us. While shooting models, he works on expressions and tries to weave in a story. “Since Tanni Chaudhuri is a trained dancer, she knows how to pose and is naturally expressive. Chumki has participated in beauty pageants and has modelled too, hence she knows how to face the camera candidly. Kakali is very sophisticated and graceful in her postures, while Luna, whom I have known for ten years now, is very uninhibited and well-poised,” observes Saurabh, who loves eating Mughlai and Continental food and spending time in solitude when not working.
“I would like to grow as a fashion photographer and do more work in the fashion and entertainment industry here,” he states about his future plans.
Saurabh Dasgupta can be reached at 9051433119, via smiles.saurabh@gmail.com and on Instagram @sd_visual.arts
Tanni Chaudhuri | 43, height: 5 ft 3 inches
This picture was taken by Saurabh as a part of Tanni’s portfolio at a private party. A professional kathak danseuse, she has always been very particular about how she dresses. “You might say I am a fashion freak who hoards accessories and I love a well-coordinated look. Even in this picture of mine, you can see me wearing a maroon rose hair clip to go with my sari. When it comes to accessories I love everything but I am a bit partial towards earrings. Clothing for me is about being elegant and comfortable at the same time and nothing can match my love for saris,” says the kathak exponent, who loves georgettes, chiffons and the traditional South and Odishi silks apart from the handloom ones. “In fact, I am so in love with saris that I can even wear them to discos. When not in sari I prefer long, straight cut kurtis,” mentions Tanni, adding that her favourite colours are red and black. “I believe it’s never very late to experiment with anything and I am totally loving my newfound love for modelling and posing for the camera for the fun of it,” tells the stylish lady, who loves to listen to classical, folk and jazz music in her spare time.
Instagram handle: @tanni_Kathak
Luna Chatterjee | 43, height: 5 ft 5 inches
Luna, a teacher and brand consultant who is also a known socialite and influencer in the Kolkata circuit, loves to wear anything that suits her, be it a pair of shorts or saris. “The only criterion is that it needs to suit me and I should feel comfortable wearing them,” she points out. On any given working day, a black pair of jeans and tops see her through. When it comes to partying or any social dos, she loves flaunting saris especially the comfortable cotton ones. “I love black, red and white colours and fitted sleeveless blouses with deep backs are a must for me,” tells Luna. Besides these, she also likes wearing jumpsuits in cotton-linen since they make a comfortable fashion statement. “Among accessories, I love sleek watches in rose gold and experiment a lot when it comes to earrings. I have almost 300 pairs of them. Bags too are my weakness and I have about 80 of them. I love wearing kitten-heel pumps and during winter, it’s ankle-length boots for me,” says Luna, who loves wearing colourful kohls and black lipsticks.
Instagram handle: @luna_chatterjee
Kakali Biswas | 51, height: 5 ft 2 inches
A sales professional at an MNC, Kakali believes in keeping it simple yet classy when it comes to things sartorial. Seen in this picture in a beige Mandarin collar, silk cotton maxi dress, this spunky woman has modelled for many a sari boutique on requests from friends. “I have always had a natural flair for style and fashion and hence I thought of giving modelling a try for the fun of it when friends kept on insisting,” tells Kakali, whose daughter is 28 years old. Her favourite attire is always the sari and she loves handloom weaves in natural fabrics including linen, cotton and jamdani. “Initially, I used to stick to black, white and grey but now, I have started to experiment with colours like red, blue, green and shades of yellow. But I am still a bit scared of neon colours,” informs Kakali. Besides saris, Kakali loves wearing short and long anti-fit handloom dresses and jeans. “I love wearing a white top or shirt over a washed-out blue pair of denim,” says the fashionista. When it comes to accessories, it’s always silver for her and she has chokers in all shapes and sizes. “Besides chokers, I also love watches with huge dials,” she adds. When it comes to make-up, the wildlife photography enthusiast likes kohl eyes with neutral or brown lips.
Instagram handle: @phoenix_stories
Chumki Sharma | 37, height 5 ft 7 inches
A banker by profession, a poet by passion and an international pageant winner and model by choice, Chumki Sharma is seen here in a maroon chiffon sari, which was a part of her portfolio shoot. “I love sustainable and organic fabrics and I am sold to anything comfortable, they are so breathable and elegant at the same time,” tells Chumki, whose favourite colours comprise white, black, red and blue. Other than the nine yards, her wardrobe is also full of nice short and knee-length dresses in cotton and long flowy gowns in chiffons. “I also can spend a lifetime wearing jeans and tops, I feel so comfortable in them. When it comes to accessories, I am a complete silver person and love long earrings. I am a shoe hoarder and can’t stop buying them. I have many pairs in beiges,” says Chumki, who loves watching movies and writing poems in spare time.
Instagram handle: @chumki.sharma