In previous conversations with The Hindu, celebrity photographer G Venket Ram has enthralled readers with myriad tales about his relationship with Chennai and photography.

He has recounted his childhood in George Town; spoken of sprinting down Napier bridge at dawn; narrated a story of accidentally stopping a train whilst wearing a red T-shirt; and had quipped about spending time clicking picture-perfect shots of actor Suriya’s abs.

Over the years, readers have watched this lensman experiment with styles and fashion, showing facets of the city peeking through his personality. This time, a sticky photograph in a 100-year-old family album has encouraged him to meditate on two eternal abstractions while the city remains the background — nostalgia and contrast.

A picture of G Venket Ram’s grandparents | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Have you seen those old albums that are somewhat falling apart, with photographs sticking to each other? I chanced upon one such album with a wedding portrait of my great grandfather and great grandmother from the 1920s and the image struck me,” he says. 

In it, the couple — Dr Ramadheni Seshagiri Rao and Ranganayaki Bandala — dressed in their wedding finery can be seen exuding two vastly distinct emotions. The photo in black and white, shows the young doctor in a dapper suit, tie and well-constructed shoes, much resembling the Englishmen who ruled over the country then.

A side-by-side of the models shot by G Venket Ram comparing the fashion of 1920s and present day. | Photo Credit: G Venket Ram

However, elements of Indian jewellery and aesthetes are essential to completing his look. A bejewelled turban with a feather, ornate arm bands and a studded necklace, add to the confidence as he sits cross-legged. “Much I know about him [great grandfather] is from my grandmother who says that he was stationed in Vellore for several years as the prison doctor at the Vellore Central Prison. He lost his wife at a young age,” Venket Ram says.

His new doe-eyed wife on the other hand, is draped in a Chinese silk sari with tulips run along the hem, and adorned from head to toe in intricate jewels including chains, rings, nose pins and several ornaments on the ear. “It is almost as if she is shocked by the camera. I wanted to recreate this exact image because it refused to leave me. There is so much fashion in the photograph,” he says.

Venket Ram hence decided to play around with the motifs in the picture. He says that he specifically tried to look for young models (aged 16 and 24) in the shoot, so as to capture this natural innocence that his great grandmother once displayed. But, the idea was also to subvert the gaze with a contrasting sense of the future. “There is hence a recreation from the 1920s, and the same saree and jewellery styled for today,” he says. 

A side-by-side of the models shot by G Venket Ram comparing the fashion of 1920s and present day. | Photo Credit: G Venket Ram

To ensure that the look could be recreated, Venket Ram reached out to Amrapali to source similar jewellery. “You should see the necklace and the vankis. Exquisite,” he says. He adds that the saris were customised by Raw Mango. While the background is consistent, showcasing a timeless painting and an ornate column, the models in the images wear contrasting emotions. There is both timid shyness and a searing confidence in their faces as the photographs sit side-by-side.

“There is also a distinction in shooting technique. The 1920s image was shot on a large format film camera (he owns a Horseman LX 4x5), the contemporary image was shot on a 35mm digital camera. Even the carpets and furnishing were carefully picked out from Amethyst,” he says. 

Venket Ram says that wedding portraits have a diminished value in today’s world of technology. “While the act of pictures on a wedding day exists, the frames today are usually crowded with people. If anything, this image has taught me that wedding portraits are precious and must be treated with all seriousness. It is, after all, a rare occasion,” he says.

Photographer’s G Venket Ram’s work can be viewed on his Instagram and Facebook @venketramg. It will be displayed in Amethyst on November 15.