A day in the life of Sufia Kamal

Sufia Kamal listening to her grand daughter sing, (R) the poet reading a book at leisure

From his childhood Proshanta wanted to immortalise the lives of remarkable women in Bangladesh who have contributed towards the society. This he meant to do by photographing them. Since the days he read Sufia Kamal's poems in his school days he had great admiration for her. When he grew up and came to Dhaka from Faridpur, he contacted Sufia Kamal's daughter Sayeeda Kamal, who is an artist, and had rapport with Proshanta, who is a painter too.

Proshanta went early in the morning, when Sufia Kamal was asleep, and began taking pictures from the time she was in repose, so that she was unaware that she was being photographed. As she got up, she had her morning round of betel leaf and a picture depicts her before a stand with a paan-dan. Next, there is a picture of her reading the daily morning news and later we see her having her breakfast with her daughter and family.

The camera is then focused on Sufia Kamal reading a book and writing. Later, we see her meeting guests, and next, praying after lunch. Her granddaughter Tia is seen as entertaining her with song and music. Her writing of poetry in the evening is also captured and so the rest of the day is depicted through the lens in black and white.

"Although I spent the entire day with her, I did not disturb her in any way, and I myself had no problem. I felt it is interesting to study how a celebrated lady spends an average day. This, incidentally, was done on February 9, 1996. I was amazed that despite her fame, she felt no pride and kept no distance from me and my camera, although I was young and not quite known at that time. Of course, I was lucky that I knew Sayeeda and got entry into the household," says Proshanta.

Proshanta photographs in black and white. Drawing inspiration from Anwar Hossain, he believes that classic photography is always in black and white. He began taking photographs from 1985, under the guidance of his elder brother, Kalidas Karmakar. He had given him a Canon AE-1. Also guiding him was Syed Rafiqur Rahim since 1993.

He has had two photographic exhibitions, one on the Eiffel Tower at Alliance Francaise, when he went there to study, and one on the parents of muktijoddahs (freedom fighters) at the National Museum. He is now concentrating on having an exhibition on the seven wonders such as the Great Wall of China and the pyramids of Egypt. He has also been working on the lives of gypsies and the buildings of historical importance such as the Kantojir Mandir and the Lalbagh Fort so that eventually he can have an exhibition on them overseas.

The exhibition jointly organised by Gallery Chitrak and Shanjher Maya Trust is on till June 29.