Phata Poster Nikla Common Man : stumble upon the unexpected at Dharmesh Panchal's photography exhibition at Amdavad Ni Gufa

Celebrities make surprising appearances in unlikely places in Dharmesh Panchal’s photography exhibition of Bollywood posters.

“Raju thehro, varna ye goli yahin chal jaayegi.”

We assumed someone would definitely approach us – with handguns pointed at our heads – with such dialogue yesterday, while at the Amdavad Ni Gufa to see a photography exhibition by Dharmesh Panchal. Artist Dharmesh, who has been dedicatedly carrying a camera with him over the past 15 years in his search of aesthetics, has shot a unique collection of photographs displaying a 103-years-long Bollywood legacy through movie posters. Sure, he has artistically shot posters of Bollywood, but what makes this exhibition most intriguing are the stories within the frames that accompany each poster.

As a man is seen shaving another man’s cheeks in front of a ‘Billu Barber’ poster, the photograph truly delivers the ‘Billu Barber’ message beyond the screen. Even when an Amitabh Bachchan poster is seen half torn, and stuck onto the wall of a Shulabh Shauchalay, it still carries in it the grace of the man – the grace that makes him a celebrity. At the same time, when celebrities make such unlikely appearances – through posters stuck at common public places – we see that the people behind these posters are also real people, participants in real life and bearers of real problems.

Dharmesh Panchal’s photography exhibition, titled ‘Stars on Wall’, is vibrant and entertaining – a must-visit before January 13, 2017, between 4:00 PM to 08:00 PM.

Photographs: Marmik Shah