Book launch: Inspired moments - showcasing a positive image

Photojournalist travels from Cholistan to Rakaposhi.


Maryam Usman April 01, 2014
Photojournalist Mobeen Ansari signs a copy of his first book at the launching ceremony at PNCA. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:


Instead of going from cover to cover, open a page randomly and a story will pop out at you, Mobeen Ansari, a photojournalist, said about his first book “Dharkan,” that was launched at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts on Sunday evening.


Though the words “The heartbeat of a nation” appear in the subtext of the title, they really are the core message of the book. Beyond the technical and aesthetic aspects of the photography, there is a human connection that lies at the heart of each portrait, telling a story.

In the book, Ansari has profiled a diverse group of individuals including humanitarians, musicians, leaders and politicians, models, actors, writers, intellectuals and everyday people, celebrating them in a glowing tribute while also offering a slice of the multi-faceted Pakistani life to the casual observer. There are 98 people in the book out of the 180 that Ansari has photographed.

In putting together the portraits and stories, his intention was threefold – to remind everyone of our icons, to motivate compatriots with their inspirational stories and to show another side of the country. “I always used to say I want to show a positive image of Pakistan. But now I’ll just have to let the stories do the talking because our image takes a beating every day,” he said.

He also touches upon the issue of selective amnesia that the nation faces. “Most of the time, we tend to celebrate our icons when they have passed away.” Sure we remembered Reshma Ji, he added, but did we not only start remembering her when she was admitted in the hospital last year and then when she passed away?

Nurturing a love for the great beyond, the self-confessed adventure enthusiast has travelled all over the country, often to dangerous terrains in search of that candid shot, the untold story, the unseen picture. His purpose remains to highlight a positive image of the country as opposed to all the wrong reasons it makes headlines for.

From the Cholistan desert to the snow-capped peaks of Rakaposhi and Nanga Parbat, his is a knapsack full of memories, anecdotes and thrilling experiences. Through all of his travels, it is the people that have fascinated him the most and that becomes obvious as one looks at the photographs on each page.

At the launch, Ansari joked about his “bad love affair” with inner Lahore where he keeps returning to discover new places each time. He shared fond memories of Kalash valley among other cultures that he has explored in the course of the four years that it took him to finish the book.

A collection of inspired moments, the book opens up a kaleidoscope of the photographer’s own life story and the experiences that paved his creative journey.

Ansari, who has received a bachelor’s degree in painting from the National College of Arts, Rawalpindi campus, is a self-taught photographer. His artistic side manifests itself in the “painterly images” he captures from behind the lens.

An attack of meningitis at a very early age affected his hearing and smelling abilities. Taking these challenges in his stride, he has carved a niche for himself in the chosen field.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rasheed, who inaugurated the launching ceremony, dubbed the book an asset for the country. “Mobeen is an ambassador of a Pakistan that is peaceful, beautiful and tolerant. This book will help showcase a positive image of the country to the rest of the world.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2014.

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