“Unique is beautiful”
Cover of Unique is Beautiful – India by Abhishek Golecha
The human race is complex, diverse and abundant. In an ideal world, there would be a place for everyone— we would no longer discriminate against each other, whether it has to do with our religion, caste or the way we look.
Although the world is changing, we still tend to distance ourselves from those that look, feel and seem “different.” Inclusivity is a long journey ahead of us, especially in India, but when I spoke to Abhishek Golecha about his recent work, it felt like a monumental step towards change.
“I come from a conservative background– the expectations were always for us to get an education, a good stable job and then a marriage,” says Abhishek when we asked him about his upbringing.
“Photography was always in my soul, but it truly came to life when I casually entered a competition in college. Where I used my very basic digital camera to compete against 50 other fancy DSLRs,” he said.
“Infact, I didn’t even understand the topic. I had to call my brother, who was living abroad, to explain the assignment to me,” he added.
“Somehow though, I still placed second. And that was it. I knew I was not meant to take the traditional path that I’d grown up around,” says Abhishek.
“I’ve had a colorful career, with many trials and tribulations in between, but with some wonderful and big projects under my belt,” he added. “I’ve been fortunate–It was a busy 6-7 years of pursuing photography full time.”
But like alot of us, Golecha hit a turning point in 2020, when the first lockdown was imposed.
Restlessness took over and the need to create continued. Which is when Abhishek decided to reach out to people worldwide, to shoot virtually.But after numerous shoots from models from around the globe, Abhishek still found himself looking for something more.
Which is when he found Ella, a professional model with albinism.
“She was striking and caught my attention, so I reached out to her,” says Abhishek.
Two days later, they set up a virtual shoot.
“I then got in touch with an agency in London that specialises in unique and diverse models,” he said, enthusiastically.
To his delight, the agency was on board. Through this collaboration, Abhishek was introduced to some powerful people. He got to work with models that were differently abled, some that had down syndrome and others with vitiligo.
Their confidence struck a chord– why hadn’t he seen anything like this in India?
“While talking to each person throughout each shoot, each conversation was extremely powerful. Even though it wasn’t planned, I knew I needed to showcase it somehow,” he said.
So with permission, he recorded the conversations and pieced them together, highlighting important points made by each individual. The message was centered around hoping and dreaming and portrayed each person as unique, honest, powerful and beautiful.
The video went viral.
Cover of Unique is Beautful by Abhishek Golecha
But Abhishek’s journey onto this path of inclusivity did not end there.
“So many people reached out to me because of that video. Many of whom were not only unique themselves but also interested in being in front of the camera. It also directed me to look for a similar inclusive agency in India but I could not find a platform,” says Abhishek.
“Instantly, part two began to piece together,” and in less than 10 days, he was weaving another story, featuring unique people from India, this time.
And fueled by both humbling experiences, Abhishek wanted to take matters even further.
“I decided to form an agency myself– a modeling platform that aims to redefine beauty in India.” The organization now represents unique and diverse models from around the country.
“ I’ve learned so much through this experience. The people I got to meet (virtually and in person) have taught me to chase happiness, despite being challenged continuously, sometimes every minute.” He found himself humbled.
“The truth is, India’s mindset towards differently abled and other unique individuals has not changed yet,” said Abhishek.
“If they are ever represented, the focus is on profiting off and displaying only their challenges, but I wanted to represent them in a different light. One that showcases each person’s strengths. If we do this on a larger scale, we could not only encourage more people to come out and celebrate themselves, but also change our collective perspective towards inclusivity,” he added.
“I want to create representation for all kinds of individuals so they can have equal opportunities to inspire others the way they inspired me. Everything I’ve accomplished so far seems to have led me to this point,” he went on.
“My path has always written its own story and the massive scale at which I want to do this might take 20 years, but knowing that this is probably just the beginning is the most exciting part. I’ve found new meaning for my skills, art and work– I feel fortunate to have discovered that,” he concluded, “…especially during a global pandemic!”
Abhishek and everyone that was a part of these projects really make us believe that someday, every person can feel like they belong.
And that human beings are resilient– how we cross over every obstacle is upto us, and each one of us, despite our challenges, have both the ability and right to fulfill our dreams.