Best clicks from the lens of celebrated twin shutterbugs

Lucknow: An exhibition of 175 photographs clicked by twin sisters, Debalina Mazumdar and Manobina Roy, who are among India’s first women photographers and also pioneers in candid photography, began at UP State Lalit Kala Akademi on Thursday.Organized by Lucknow Bioscope, the exhibition has been curated by Sabeena Gadihoke, Mallika Leuzinger and Tapati Guha-Thakurta, and will remain openfrom 11am-7pm daily till August 12.Dean, College of Architecture, AKTU, Vandana Sehgal, inaugurated the exhibition by clicking a group photograph of the visitors who also attended a talk on the life and achievements of the two women. Several family members of the two legendary women, including Debolina’s daughter Kamalini and Manobina’s son Joy Bimal Roy were also present.Debalina Mazumdar and Manobina Roy were born in Varanasi about 15 minutes apart in 1919. It was the time when girls were kept under purdah, their father, Binod Behari Sen Roy, got his daughters educated and helped in their careers as he believed men and women were equals, informed Sabeena.“It was Roy who gifted a camera to the twins when they were 13 years of old. This initiated their journey as photographers which continued until death. Renowned film director Bimal Roy was the husband of Manobina, while Debalina married an industrialist Nitish Chandra Mazumder,” she added.Recalling her mother’s life, Kamalini said, “My mother was also the honorary secretary of the Lucknow based United Province Amateur Photography Association.”