INTERVIEW | Shahidul Alam: ‘Photography is a reciprocal event’

Published : Sep 07, 2023 11:00 IST - 10 MINS READ The book Shahidul Alam: Singed But Not Burnt offers an expansive view of the work of the renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist and activist, starting with his accidental acquisition of a camera in the early 1980s and moving on to his rousing documentation of resistance movements in the 21st century. But Alam withdrew his works days before the launch in protest against the KNMA terminating its employee Sandip K. Luis for his social media post on KNMA founder Kiran Nadar’s participation, along with other artists and curators, in the Jana Shakti exhibition in May to mark the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat radio programme. The exhibition would also have offered glimpses into his work as an institution builder and the role institutions play in a struggling democracy—Alam founded the Drik Picture Library, Pathshala Media Institute, Majority World Agency, and the Chobi Mela festival of photography in Dhaka. ““While I enjoy the medium of photography, while I enjoy producing interesting imagery, that is not the point of the exercise.””Shahidul Alam How did “Singed But Not Burnt” come about? We’ve looked at how we can enable people to become braver, stronger and more resilient.”Shahidul Alam In the book, the camera is not just a visual implement but also a sensorial organ.