Hyderabad | A new photography book features portraits in black and white

Varun Jinka's black-and-white photography book, Un/Framed Lives, captures the soul of Kolkata

The cover of photographer and aspiring cinematographer Varun Jinka’s coffee table book, Un/Framed Lives (Anvikshiki Publishers), features a stark black-and-white image framed by a vibrant turmeric yellow border. The cover photograph has its own story, and the turmeric yellow is Varun’s homage to Kolkata. “Storytelling is at the heart of my work, and I strive to present narratives that are often overlooked,” says Varun, who was briefly in Hyderabad for the book launch.

Before delving into the stories, it is worth understanding Varun’s approach to photography. The book’s tagline, ‘Moments Unposed, Stories Untold’, hints at his methodical yet intuitive style. The book, a project four years in the making, was funded by 150 contributors and a personal loan. An alumnus of Hyderabad’s Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University and Kolkata’s Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Varun began capturing people and moments in Kolkata in 2021, using black-and-white film rolls.

Though Varun is not opposed to digital photography, he found working with film rolls to be more immersive. “I can vividly recall the time, place, and situation in which I captured each image using film. With digital photography, we often lose that connection because it is easier to take multiple shots, review, and delete,” he explains. For him, black and white photography symbolises simplicity and truthfulness. Kolkata’s accessibility to vintage photography equipment and film rolls also made the process seamless.

The book features 100 black and white images, through which Varun aims to capture “the soul of Kolkata.” He wandered the streets, observing and documenting people, often accompanied by his Ethiopian friend, Fikade Kifle. The photographs depict children, men, and women of various ages in parks, by street corners, at shops, and train stations. “I revisited some neighbourhoods over several days, and people became familiar with me. They did not mind when I photographed them,” he recalls.

The cover photograph, however, holds special significance for Varun. It evokes a childhood memory when he was afraid of transgenders. One day, while waiting at a railway station, he noticed a radiant smile through his camera’s viewfinder. Looking closer, he realised the person smiling at him was transgender. “That smile broke all my fears. I felt pure joy and knew I had to capture that moment,” he shares.

The turmeric yellow splashes across some of the book’s pages are Varun’s tribute to Kolkata’s cultural identity. “The colour is significant in every aspect of life in Kolkata,” he says, referencing the yellow taxis, streetlights, flowers, and turmeric in local cuisine. He likens the sunshine hue to the city’s vibrant spirit.

Born in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, and raised in Guntur and Hyderabad, Varun now divides his time between Hyderabad and Mumbai, where he works as a second associate in the cinematography department with filmmaker Nagraj Manjule. The idea of compiling his photographs into a book came from the encouragement of one of his favourite photographers, Santosh Rajgarhia. His confidence further grew when he won a photo competition organised by the Blue Banyan Collective Committee at SRFTI.