For most of us, wrestling is a spectator sport — all of the action and adrenalin minus the sweat, toil and heartbreak. Grip, Hold, Pin is an exhibition currently underway at the Museum of Art and Photography offering a glimpse into the gritty reality of Indian wrestling.Curated by Aayati Sengupta, it features photographs by Indrajit Khambe and Prarthna Singh as well as paintings, textile labels and traditional training equipment, such as clubs and weights are a part of the space too.According to Aayati, the title of the exhibition is not only sporting jargon, but is also a nod to attempts by visual artists to pin down a fleeting moment, preserving it for posterity.Spanning the 19th and 21st century, Grip, Hold, Pin ushers in visitors with an akhara gate. “The akhara is an insular space, a space for the wrestler. So while it beckons, it also bars your entry,” says Aayati.
From Grip Hold Pin at MAP Bengaluru
Though Indian wrestlers lost royal patronage as kingdoms came under colonial rule, many such as Rammurthy Naidu (considered India’s Hercules), were courted by the British, while others joined travelling circuses of the time.Indrajit Khambe says he began working on this series relating to the life of Indian wrestlers in 2012. “Between 2012 and 2018, I shot lot of pictures, but did not return to the akharas following the pandemic. When I began curating my work for this show, I realised that not only had I changed as a photographer, but also my understanding of photography had changed.”He returned to Kolhapur to reshoot with his newfound perspective. “My earlier pictures were exotic; I wanted everyone to like those pictures. Now I react to the emotions and simple movements of my subjects.”“In these works, I have left the "exotic” behind and tried to capture the rawness of their lives,” says Indrajit. “There are moments of defeat and tiredness, in some they are sweating after intense practice sessions. In others, wrestlers sit alone, thinking.”“I have tried to capture that space where they have been raised and how they charge themselves with a new energy every day, despite defeats of the previous day.”
