Hello, beautiful people. After a bit of a break, I'm back with episode 42. And this special episode, we feature Masban Pereira from Mumbai. Whose lens captures the essence of East Indian weddings and events like no other. But before we dive into this episode, let's set the stage with a touch of history.
The East Indians are a community with a rich and storied heritage.
Their roots trace back to the days of colonial India. They descend from the original inhabitants of the seven islands that make up Mumbai.
These resilient and vibrant people known as East Indians have a captivating history that unfolds like a tapestry of cultures. Their story intertwines with the Portuguese, British, and Indian influences resulting in a unique blend of traditions and customs that are still cherished today.
Originating from the historic seven islands of Mumbai, the East Indians have left an indelible mark on the city's cultural mosaic contributing to its unique charm. Read on as we unravel the tapestry of east indian culture through the lens of the talented Masban Pereira.
East Indian weddings, normally like a one-week long event, basically start off, with the neighbors coming in, cutting the pig, and making pickles. So we have Umbracha Pani, a day before the wedding and then the wedding day follows. And after the wedding day, then we normally have pathpathkar patpatni as it is called. So then that is when the bride side people come to the groom's place and then they take the couple back to the bride's place.
I was introduced to Masban's work by his brother, Neil. A very good friend of mine who's also a photographer. Based in Auckland. He was one of the very first photographers that I interviewed for this podcast. Masban and his brothers were introduced to photography through their father. He had bought a Yashica camera and the Pereira brothers got hooked on photography. Interestingly, all three of them professionally are involved with visual communications. In some shape or form.
I basically loved photography right from the start. And in fact, uh, my dad, when he was in the gulf, he had bought a camera Yashica. So that was a point-and-shoot camera. So we used to always use, Neil, myself and my brother, we used to always use that camera. And that's how we, you know, got into photography and started liking it.
But in those days, it was pretty expensive because you had to literally buy film roll and everything, all that stuff. So it was pretty expensive, a hobby basically in those days. So, but then later on, what happened when digital cameras came about, I purchased a digital camera in 2004.
It was DSLR, uh, that was a Canon 350D. And that's how it started off.
So Masban's career as a wedding photographer took off like countless other photographers, shooting family events. The interesting thing about finding a niche is that he's also part of the Catholic Eastern Indian community. So by default, It has become his specialization. From umbrachar pani to pathpathkars he has become a specialist East Indian photographer.
Masban makes sure he and his team are alert to what’s happening at any wedding. This is how he differentiates himself from his competition. He and his team make sure they get the crowd involved in the event by networking on the dance floor and dining tables.
We make sure we capture each and every event, each and every moment that is there, something is somebody's talking to this on that one. Everything is covered basically. So basically that's what I've got many, a lot of feedback from my clients saying that you guys are very alert. You know, you guys don't miss out anything.
Masban Pereira is unique in the sense that he is someone who exclusively focuses on the Catholic East Indian community. This is a community that has a rich and storied history. His photography reflects the community that he is a part of.
You can check out Masban’s work on his website www.flashbacks.in or on his Instagram - flashbacks.in
I hope you enjoyed this conversation with my Masban Pereira. Photo country is a passion project of mine. Please do leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcast. Are you going to do one more thing? You can buy me a coffee. That's right. Go to buymeacoffee.com/photocountry and show your support. Thank you so much for your support.
Preserving East Indian Heritage Through Photography - Ep. 42 - Masban Pereira