Balaji Maheshwar 

Photobook: Dear Cinema,

Dear Cinema, (2013–Present) is the artist’s confrontation of his relationship with his father and his family’s chequered history with the world of cinema. The publication assembles Maheshwar’s documentation of family photographs from his grandfather’s time as an actor, layered into the present day photographs of his father’s daily life. As the work unravels, the line between what’s real and what’s constructed blurs, and in its place is a pattern that shifts and repeats itself. Through these images, Dear Cinema, draws tangible connections between fathers and sons, dreaming and living and coming to terms with the weight of their own choices.

Balaji Maheshwar is a Documentary photographer and filmmaker from Chennai, whose autobiographical practice establishes a relationship with the outside world, leading to a deeper understanding of the self. He was selected as one of the participants from Asia for the 2019 Angkor Photo Workshop and was mentored by Antoine D’agata and Sohrab Hura. Balaji’s film version of “Dear Cinema,” was selected for Doc Edge Kolkata and Dhaka Doc Lab in 2023.

The artist would like to acknowledge PhotoSouthAsia for their support.