Portrait nominee

"In the small village of West Sumatra lives a young girl named Armila, lovingly known as Mila. She's a remarkable soul, facing the world with unmatched grace and confidence, despite being born with Waardenburg Syndrome, which gifted her with a striking blue eye. Yet, her inner radiance outshines any physical differences. It's her vibrant spirit, resilient confidence, and infectious smile that light up not only her face but also the lives of everyone around her.

Mila is fortunate to have a hardworking mother, a farmer with two blue eyes, and a perfectly normal father and sister who provide her with unwavering love and support. Her journey wasn't without its challenges; she encountered bullying during her school days. But Mila's incredible strength and resilience turned those hardships into sources of empowerment.

Today, Mila is a cherished and gifted young girl, deeply loved by her friends and adored by her parents. The community recognizes her unique beauty and celebrates the richness found within diversity. Mila is more than her differences; she's an embodiment of courage and joy. Her unwavering self-belief, resilience, and an aura of warmth and confidence illuminate the lives of those fortunate enough to know her."

Mahendra has always been interested in photography, growing up reading different photography magazines and taking pictures of sunsets and sunrises as a child. However, it wasn't until 2001, after he had established a solid foundation with his business in Solapur, that he got into travel photography, drawing inspiration from the places he travelled to for business.
Mahendra's work uses all kind of elements to tell their story, from pattern to repetition to contrast, but the most striking is his use of light. Dynamic natural lighting is a huge part of his works, which creates images that are somehow very rooted in the space they come from. He's covered many countries, especially in Southeast Asia, but his favorite of these is Myanmar, the photos of which particularly encapsulate his whole approach to photography, which is to capture the culture and personality of a space. He wants to explore the entirety of India first though, before properly shifting his view abroad, especially the stories and cultures of native Indian tribes, and this emphasis on the 'human' element of these places is a central theme that comes through in a lot of his photographs.