Hair force

Sheetal Mallar, in her photobook Braided, uses hair as a metaphor to tell a story that is personal yet universal

- SUMITRA NAIR

Hair has always been a part of a woman's identity. Be it short, long, thick, fine, curly, straight or wavy, it plays an important role in shaping her persona. I remember watching my grandmother comb out her thick, long, straight hair that fell beyond her waist. It was black with streaks of silver and looked like a magical waterfall to an eighty-year-old me.

I also recall whispering in her ear, “I want hair like yours.” And thanks to her carefully crafted hair-care regime, I had thick, waist-length hair till my late teens. My relationship with my curls fell through when they started misbehaving and the straightening bug bit me. Each woman's journey with her hair is different.

Model-turned-photographer Sheetal Mallar's photobook Braided conveys just that and more. Some of the pictures in the book evoke nostalgia; some are poignant, while some others are portraits of Mallar's mother and grandmother. The book also comprises illustrations, done by Mallar, and personal notes.