Wildlife comes roaring at ‘Call of the Wild’

By Tazeen Qureshy

cameraperson Ashis DhirBhubaneswar: An Olive Ridley takes it first step into the waters of Rushikulya while a tiger in the adjoining section looks straight into your eyes with its tongue wagging out. In another section, a flock of migratory birds flap their wings symbolising freedom in the vast blue sky. Such visions and many more have come alive, through the lens of well-known camera person Ashis Dhir.

A photo exhibition, appropriately titled “Call of the Wild”, which was inaugurated by Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb at the Lalit Kala Akademi here on Wednesday, showcases 48 of his best wildlife photographs.

“In 1995, during a visit to Gahirmatha and Rushikulya, I saw the unbelievable sight of Olive Ridley turtles, who had migrated from unknown places to fulfill a planned ritual. The sight kindled the passion for photography in me,” Ashis says.

Around 50 per cent of the exhibits are based in different places in Odisha, while the rest were taken in the rest of the country, including Ranthambhore and Corbett Park.

“The work has been roughly documented over a period of 10 to 12 years and is the result of the hard work of a number of people, including my travel guides and driver,” he says.

The exhibition will conclude on September 26.