Vinita Faridi
Hindustan Times
May 19
He always had certain images in mind that he wanted to put to paper. But not being a good painter he was unable to do so. So Swami Dhyan Utsav, aka Utsav Arora, did the next best thing — he became a photographer. “Photography gave me the creative satisfaction that I was looking for,” says Arora, whose photographs and digital prints are on display at the Osho World Galleria till May 21.
That he is a Microsoft certified computer engineer from New York helped Arora in creating the digital images and prints. Titled Digital Nirvana, the exhibition is dedicated to Osho, whom Arora considers “my spiritual mentor.” Having spent some time with Osho himself at the Rajneesh Ashram in Pune, Arora admits, “Osho has inspired me to observe everything around me with a different perspective and many a times when I capture an unusual shot, I feel I am in meditation with my Master.”
Having closely interacted with Osho, Arora learnt very early in life that “work is worship”. Consequently, it was not only in meditation that Arora spent his time in Pune. “I worked on a freelance basis for The Times of India, Media TransAsia, The Indian Express and some Internet magazines,” says Arora, whose forte is the fusion of computer technology with the art of photography. “There is a tremendous creative possibility what with the advent of modern software, faster computers and increasingly professional quality digital cameras,” says the photographer who himself uses digital Nikon and Canon cameras.
A self-confessed “gypsy at heart”, Arora’s favourite pastime is travelling. Consequently, now he works mainly on commercial assignments that provide him with the opportunity to see the beauty of this planet and existence as a whole. It reflects in his works, his images are dominated by nature, be it the big blob of a setting sun or a bird perched on a big tree.
Fond of colours, Arora’s prints are in vibrant reds and blues, because “nature is like that, rich and colourful.” He is also concerned about the hostile human interference in nature resulting in degradation of the environment, which is showcased in a large part of his work.
And when he is not playing the concerned citizen, Arora, a self-confessed computer geek, works as a digital multimedia consultant. The diversification helps him broaden his horizons and become a better human being, “because I firmly believes in Gandhiji’s philosophy of allowing the breeze to come out from all sides.”
