A significant exhibition on the occasion of World Photography Day, a week before has begun at Alliance Francaise Bhopal. This exhibition is a special showcase of renowned musicians in and Dancers in their studios practicing the Ragas unknown. Prriti Mann’s exhibition had a profound impact on the viewers, attracting a diverse audience of writers, artists, dancers, poets, musicians, photographers, journalists and experts from various fields, who gained insight into the essence of these photographs and the intimate moments of musicians.
Prriti’s extensive journey includes working on the ‘Artist at Studio’ a series for BBC, capturing numerous artists, musicians, and dancers in their private studios during creative moments i.e. Riyaz. These photographs are captivating, showcasing her ability to capture ‘the moment’ that other photographers often miss.
The ‘Intiriority of Raga’ exhibition features photographs that evoke a sense of serenity, inviting viewers to explore the uncharted territories of music.
Prriti’s black and white photography exhibition presented the deep emotions and sentiments of Indian classical musicians in black-and-white images with great impact.
These black-and-white images are transformation of every single movement in the “Ekant” of musicians are the turning movement from ordinary to extraordinary. One can feel the intensity of the movement. Riyaz is the most unknown part of an artist. He paints, sings, practices dance movements are known to him only. This is the time when he faces the failure of oneself and tries to achieve the best of Himself/Herself. These photos shows that particular time but transcendent the time in to space.
The beauty of these photos are that they don’t document the time but becomes the space of itself.
Interior unknown space.
Prriti has captured moments where the camera becomes a conveyor of emotions – the fingers of a sitar player resting on the strings, the beat of the tabla, or the raga unfolding on a singer’s face. The movements of dancers etc. etc. These black-and-white images feature artists like:
Sarangi Player Murad Ali Khan
Flute Player Ashwini Shankar
Singer Meeta Pandit
Kathak dancer Ranjana Gohar
Tabla player Rafiuddin Sabri
Vocalist Madhup Mudgal
Violinist Anupriya Devtale
Vocalist Bhuvanesh Komkali
Santoor player Abhay Rustam Sopori
Kuchipudi Dancer Radha Reddy
Mohiniattam dancer Deepti Omchery Bhalla
Each face, each pose, and each rhythm of the photograph tells a unique story of amazing diverse confluence of Indian cultural sensibilities, each photograph is enhancing the multicultural tradition, and its emotions. “Interiority of Raga” reminds us that photography is not just a medium of seeing but a subtle art of feeling.
Rollin Barthes writes in his book about photography that:
“photography is not an art because it is referential”
Prriti’s photographs are not referential neither documentation of the time. They sucks you in the space of their own. You do not seek the but you find the extraordinary aura of these black and whites.
Her images encompass the rhythm and emotions of Indian classical music and creative world of a raga that transcends language and time. These images had its own rhythm and echoes of the private world through the eyes of Prriti Mann.
We are fulfilled after seeing these amazing photographs. They tell rather opens up the unknown movements of a known world. This the interior world of a photographer too. I wish all success in her life.
They exhibition Interiority of Raga – Photography Exhibition by Prriti Mann was live from 1st August to 12th August 2025 at Alliance Française de Bhopal, B-75 Shahpura, Bhopal.
Akhilesh Courtesy Prriti Mann
All images are courtesy of Prriti Mann
Born in 1956, is an artist, curator and writer. He has gained worldwide recognition and appreciation for his works through extensive participation in numerable exhibitions, shows, camps and other activities.
