Rohit Chawla's new series captures the vintage romance of Havana
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. One of the most striking images in Rohit Chawla’s new series,Havana, is of an old bespectacled lady, sporting an array of vibrant blooms in her hair, beaming with smile. Photographed against a Spartan beige wall, her entire being radiates cheer and positivity.
In a way, this portrait captures the very essence of Cuba and its people—of keeping music, dance and laughter alive in the face of the many challenges that it has seen over the years. Chawla first visited Cuba ten years ago, but it was only on a recent trip, on an assignment for the MGM Muthu Hotels, that he got to explore the country extensively. “Havana is the real heart of Cuba, and it became the focus of this exhibition.
This time, after being exposed to the country in its entirety, I was filled with an admiration for its people, who manage with less in every aspect of modern-day living because of the pervading sanctions [The US has maintained economic sanctions against Cuba since 1962] and yet go about the business of life without bitterness," says Chawla. In his new series, which was earlier exhibited at The Quorum Club, Gurugram and will move next month to its Mumbai space, the Goa-based photographer has chosen to focus on the resilience of the nation. His frames evoke a sense of nostalgia, of the city of Havana being frozen in time.
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