I worked on third genders who are male but consider themselves as female. They express their true self through cross-dressing. They collect money to manage their day, or give pleasure at night just to survive! But they also have dreams that nobody cares. Those dreams become nightmares while clashing with reality. Whatever destiny has given them they can’t change but at least they can expect acceptance in our so-called normal life. Our society does not understand the conflict between their mind and body. When I decided to work on the Third Gender it came to my mind that there is a resemblance between broken mirror and the life of a third gender. A broken mirror can never be altered to a smooth mirror of plane surface likewise the lives of a third gender cannot be altered to the life of a normal human being due to their non-acceptance in my society. Like a broken mirror, their life is just like the uneven surface and their dreams are shattered. Before starting this project, they were an unknown territory for me. To be frank, I was afraid of them due to their general approach to the surrounding people. But when I came closer to them and got to know them deeply, I felt their pain. Unbelievably I enjoyed their company during many celebrations and eventually, they became a source of inspiration in life. Each of their stories, their struggle gave me strength to fight for my own. I wanted to tell these stories to my viewers so that they would at least try to understand not only the conflict and agony of a third gender but also the pride and courage they gather to put a smile in their faces. I wish that my viewers would realize that the third genders are like any normal human being who do not need our sympathy rather our empathy.
My inspiration for photography comes from the people and my surroundings. I love to experience other cultures, meet different people from diverse communities. I believe in immersion photography and spend months listening, observing and talking with my subjects over the course of a project. Photography has become a part of my identity - a force that makes me think, feel and understand human being and the human condition.
