Sooni Taraporevala

My Best Shot. Photography by/ Soni Taraporevala

This story was originally published in April 2011.

Why it is my best shot

I have no ‘best shot’. I have been photographing since 1982 and so, the favourites span a large time frame. I like this image because of the content—the girl is a performer in a compartment of commuting men. But, despite this she had pluck and a sad charm. I like the tired man at the back with his hands over his eyes. I enjoy the fact that besides the girl, none of the men are aware of the camera. I also like that the shiny surface of the modern-looking metal is at odds with the girl’s worn-out painted dhol.

Where and when I shot this image
In a suburban train in Mumbai in October 2010.

How I achieved it
Stealth and speed.

The gear I used to get the shot
An iPhone 4.

About Sooni
Sooni Taraporevala is a Mumbai-based photographer and an internationally acclaimed screenwriter. She is best known for her series of photographs on the Parsi community of India along with her work as a screenwriter for movies like Mississippi Masala, The Namesake and Oscarnominated Salaam Bombay.