24 April,2011 10:49 AM IST | | Yolande D'Mello
What's it like to photograph an actress 10 days before she is expecting her first child? Fashion photographer Rafique Sayed on shooting Konkona Sen Sharma with Haroon (in her tummy) and Shorey (in the background)
When they hit their sixth month, they tend to go into hiding," says fashion photographer Rafique Sayed about Indian actresses. "It requires guts to do a shoot in your ninth month."
Sayed's words of praise are for Hindi film actress Konkona Sen Sharma who popped by foru00a0 a photoshoot at his Byculla studio, with a tummy she could barely handle.
"I've known Konkona for a while. When I asked if we could do a shoot, she said yes, instantly. I didn't really have to convince her," remembers Sayed, who spent over four hours (make-up took longer), shooting a heavily pregnant Konkona in March, just 10 days before she gave birth to her son, Haroon.
The actress and actor-husband Ranvir Shorey spent an evening in front of the camera with Sayed at the viewfinder. "It was like a family shoot, with Ranvir hanging on set, cracking jokes and making everyone laugh."
Sayed who has worked with Sharma on previous occasions says he has enjoyed watching her transform into a glamourous actress. "Everyone said Konkona is an artist; she's not glamorous. And I have loved watching that transformation." "The girl can act. I remember once shooting, and saying, 'cry'. The next moment, there were tears rolling down her cheeks."
Sharma with husband Ranvir Shorey (above), who hung around on set
adding dollops of humour. "When I called to ask if she'd do a photoshoot,
she first asked, 'Do you know I am pregnant?'" remembers Sayed.
Sayed, who's handled the camera for 17 years, says this is the first time an Indian actress has agreed to a photoshoot while carrying a child. Sharma's pictures are along the lines of what one has seen Hollywood stars Demi Moore and Monica Bellucci, and singers Mariah Carey and Britney Spears pull off.
However, these haven't influenced his vision. Indian women are yet to get comfortable with 'vulnerable' photography, he says. But he hopes Sharma inspires the rest.
Sayed says motherhood is a 'beautiful state' to be in, but a lot of women say they feel fat. "I think it's all about feeling comfortable with yourself. I wanted to bring out the vision of a strong woman, and capture what I call a spiritual glow that to-be mothers carry."
When Sayed saw the contact sheet, he realised how Sharma looked like a proud expecting mother. "Even she was surprised with the photographs; the camera captures you quite differently from what you are used to seeing in the mirror," he says about Sharma's reaction to the images that made it to the cover of the Indian edition of a celebrity magazine.
Moore, who was the first to start the trend in Hollywood, was quoted in an interview saying, "You're either sexy or you're a mother. I didn't want to have to choose, so I challenged it."
Sayed says he too sees things in black and white, and while his photographs follow a monochromatic tone, his subjects are a colourful bunch, ranging from street children to models.
