Up her street

KOCHI: By now, most of us are familiar with the face of a Rajasthani girl named Asmaan going viral on social media. The photographer behind the concept, Mahadevan Thampi, talks about how this is a tribute to street vendors

Cinematographer-photographer Mahadevan Thampi is known for his photoshoots that speak of bold concepts. Now, the talented lensman is making waves with his new project that features a 24-year-old Rajasthani girl named Aasmaan. Mahadevan first met Aasmaan, a street vendor at the Edappally traffic signal, where her family did business.

Like the old world says, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and for Thampi, this became the inspiration for a new photo series. According to him, the theme ‘street to studio’ has created waves on social media for its idea and implementation and the audience loved how Aasmaan has been brought to the spotlight.

Thampi has been pondering over the concept for a while now, and was in search of a face that could carry it.  Almost 15 years ago, while he was a student at  Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, Thampi had done a photoshoot with an Assamese family using a film camera. “The family was in town working as cable laying daily wage labourers. I’ve always followed the life of street vendors closely,” says Thampi. He used to see Aasmaan and her family doing business at the Edappally traffic signal, Kochi.

“She has a beautiful smile, one that could fill anyone with joy. Her tanned skin tone suited what I had always imagined in a model,” adds Thampi. Though Aasmaan was happy with the idea of a photoshoot, her family wasn’t convinced at the beginning., he says.“Initially she was nervous to be in front of the camera. My team and I spoke to her about the poses and her attitude. She gained confidence once the first set of pictures came through. There were three costume changes,” he says. Clap Media produced the photoshoot. Aasmaan was styled by Babita, costumes were designed by Sherin Ayab and make-up is by Prabin.

A befitting tribute to the invisible faces
According to Thampi, the shoot is a tribute from him to the street vendors. “They are hard workers. Every time we wait at a signal, we see them approaching cars and trying to sell something. They deserve to be respected,” he says. 

He hopes his shoot series will inspire other photographers to experiment with such concepts.  “I expected some negativity too. But, I wanted to see her smile and experience new things. I am glad many people can relate to this,” adds Thampi. Despite her talent, Thampi is unsure if Asmaan would return to the camera. “Her family and community is a bit conservative. So, you never know,” he says.