Photographer Arjun Kamath has created a haunting photographic series portraying a tragic story that celebrates love and explores destructive homophobia in India. No matter how accepting some parts of the world are, the Coming Out collection demonstrates the persecution and violence that gay and lesbian people still face in India.
The two women start their journey by bravely stepping out the closet, inspired by their love for one another and a courage to defy the culture and stigma surrounding them. But their laughter echoes through the forest and reaches the Rakshasas (a word for evil in Hindu mythology), they believe that the only love should be between a man and a woman…
Production-Design – Nishitha Karumbaiah
Make-up – Sonia Keer Dhawan
Costume-Design and Styling – Amritha Rajavelu
Creative-coordinator – Arvind
Maitreyi – Sarah Harish
Alpana – Shraddha Srinath
Parivala – Arvind
Story, Photography and Creative-Direction – Arjun Kamath
It’s a free world.
The twigs cracked under Alpana’s feet as she stumbled out of the closet; Maitreyi’s calm presence gave her the hope that the forest was a safe place. As the two girls trudged ahead, the winds of the forest roared, blowing an eerie chill past the endless line of dying trees…
As Maitreyi and Alpana grew comfortable in each others arms, the glowing sun started to reveal itself through the perilous clouds
The women begin to relax and play in the forest.
The Rakshasas of the forest had heard Maitreyi and Alpana’s laughter…
Maitreyi and Alpana would pay for their sins…
Maitreyi and Alpana were shoved back into the closet…
