Tribute to Raja Ravi Verma

Tribute to Raja Ravi Verma is Rohit Chawla’s photographic reinterpretation of one of the defining figures of Indian art. Drawn to Raja Ravi Varma’s classical Indian sensibility, theatrical compositions and distinctive portraits of women, Chawla reconstructed selected paintings as physical photographic tableaux. Contemporary Indian personalities were cast in celebrated poses, while costumes, jewellery, furniture, architectural details and oversized props were created specifically to reproduce the unusual perspective and scale of the original paintings. The project deliberately avoids simply photographing people in period dress; instead, it examines what happens when an image created through paint is rebuilt physically in front of a camera. Among the best-known works is Chawla’s recreation of Hamsa Damayanti with Kalyani Saha Chawla. Fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani researched and recreated period garments, while master craftsman Manoranjan Majumdar/Mukherjee produced sets and props. The resulting photographs preserve the lushness and theatricality of Ravi Varma while introducing recognisable contemporary faces and Chawla’s own photographic precision. The series was exhibited independently and later became part of The Inspired Frame alongside Chawla’s Frida Kahlo, Gustav Klimt and Company-period miniature reinterpretations.