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The spring of 1970 in Paris

Liza George discovers that the exhibitions of photographs by Parmanand Dalwadi tells a tale about loneliness and a person’s need for company

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Glimpses of Paris Parmanand Dalwadi’s (left) photographs show his take on the life in Paris

Photographs are said to have the beauty and ability to stop time. The pictures tell a tale, and there is no need for captions to explain what the photographer is trying to say. Telling a tale about loneliness and a person’s need for company is ‘Spring 1970: An Indian in Paris,’ an exhibition of black and white photographs by Parmanand Dalwadi at Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum.

What strikes the viewers when one starts viewing the pictures are the fact that the city of romance has many who are lonely and seek company. If one photo has a man dozing off on a chair, another shows a woman with a drink in front of her, sleeping. However this does not mean that most Parisians accept a fatalistic outlook. One of the pictures shows a woman applying make-up at a café. Maybe someone will ask her out?

Photo: S. Mahinsha

But that Paris is the city of love is soon depicted by the photographer who clicked these snaps in 1970. And one almost gets a voyeuristic feel as one sees young love blossoming in front and even those that stood the test of time like the one pointing out an elderly couple walking hand in hand.

The central theme of the photographs however, seems to be one’s need for companionship, be it that of a lover, a friend or family. If one of the frames has elderly gentlemen at a café drinking latte, another has an Indian lady (the photographer’s wife) rushing to embrace a friend while yet another shows two guards chatting in front of a building.

The Dalwadi’s seem to have caught a parade during their stay in Paris, because a series of photographs show a parade down Champs Elysees.

While the crowd seems to be having a good time, the media personnel seems to be having the opposite as they all try to get the perfect shot of the parade. If one has a photographer atop a traffic signal ready to capture the life of the parade, another has a journalist atop a signal post trying to get a bird’s eye view of the proceedings.

Photo: S. Mahinsha

That Paris is one of the fashion capitals in the world is also depicted especially in a picture which has two models posing for the camera.

The fact that the photographs are in black and white lent them an old world charm. There is a classic appeal to them as they show life in Paris in the Spring of 1970.

Born in Gujarat, Parmanand Dalwadi was a recipient of Ford Foundation Scholarship to study photography in Europe. A graduate of Fine Arts (painting) from M.S. University, Baroda, he post graduated in visual communication at NID, Ahmadabad. He has worked with professionals in the field of photography.

His exhibition of photographs will be on till July 25.

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