Going wild with photography

A trip to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary got Adhik Shirodkar hooked on to wildlife photography. Ankit Ajmera finds out that Shirodkar loves photographing tigers and does not like lions because they are ‘lazy’

Adhik Shirodkar, senior advocate Bombay High Court and former Member of Parliament, has many credits to his name. However, his passion for wildlife photography is what gets him really excited.

Shirodkar got interested in wildlife photography when a close friend suggested him to go to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

“I just went there and fell in love with nature. Ever since I have been hooked on to wildlife,” he says.

Photography actually happened to him after his marriage in 1952. “When I got married at the age of 21, my wife received a camera as a gift. It was a simple black and white camera of a brand called Ensign. It’s no longer in production now. So out of curiosity I started clicking pictures. That time buying a roll and developing it used to cost 3-4 annas. And that was a huge sum so I used to take about 4-5 months to finish a single roll,” he says.

Shirodkar held his first wildlife exhibition in the country in 1981. So far, he has participated in seven exhibitions at different places in the country. He recently visited Amboseli national park in Kenya and is thinking about his next exhibition in some time. His favourite wildlife photography spots are Kenya, Serengeti and Nukuru in Africa.
Speaking about his favourite animal, he says, “I just love tigers. I think it’s the most gracious animal alive. I remember a tiger by the name ‘Charger’ in the jungles of Ranthambore. He was named Charger because of his ferocious attacking skills and aggressive behaviour. I feel lucky to have clicked his picture in mood that describes his nature in the ruined forts of Ranthambore,” he says.

Shirodkar doesn’t like lions because they are very lazy animals and sleep 18 hours a day. He remarks, “I think the phrase ‘Lions’s share’ is a stupid remark. A lion hardly does anything to gain his share in the forest. Most of the hunting is done by the lionesses. And when it comes to eating, he’ll just snatch his share from them. It’s so ironic when people use it in everyday life.”

Shirodkar also finds African wild dogs very ferocious. Remembering an incident, he says, “A wildebeest calf had got lost and was surrounded by wild dogs. Wild dogs hunt in groups. All of them pounced on the helpless calf and ate it alive within 10 minutes. It just vanished in front of my eyes.”

Are humans at risk while clicking pictures in the jungle? “No. Animals, especially lions, treat you with indifference of contempt. The worst animal to be scared of is human being. We are the ones who are a threat to the existence of these animals,” he says.
Shirodkar polished his passion for photography by reading photography magazines from the streets of Mumbai in the years after marriage. He says, “Popular Photography and Modern Photography were the two international magazines available then. I used to borrow them for two annas for a period of one week from Lamington road and learn about various shooting techniques.”

It once happened that Shirodkar went to Hanging Gardens in Malabar Hills with his camera and saw a very cute looking English baby girl with her aaya (care taker). He found the little girl so cute that he immediately asked for the aaya’s permission to click her pictures.

“The aaya was reluctant and scared of the fact she might get a scolding from the girl’s mother for letting a stranger click pictures. Nonetheless, I succeeded in clicking some pictures of the girl and later sent them with an apology letter to her mother. Her mother liked the pictures so much that she called me to say thank you.”

With Shirodkar’s permission, the girl’s mother later sent the picture for a Johnson & Johnson advertisement and it earned Shirodkar a handsome sum. Shirodkar advice for aspiring wildlife photographers is to be ‘very patient with animals’. “You can’t just get hold of a camera and go into the jungle expecting animals to pose for you. Secondly don’t annoy animals and keep a safe distance. Understand their behaviour and work accordingly,” he says.
a_ankit@dnaindia.net