Calendar special

SHE WAS fragile, bent, broom in hand and trapped by light. She was sweeping the sepia-tinted earth from one expanse to another, from dust to dust. She was bent with a mission carved into her gait. It was this frame that P.C. Sreeram picked for The Banyan. The picture of a mission.

``P.C, what do you mean by giving us this?'' Vaishnavi asked Sreeram.

The Banyan launched its first desktop calendar `Induscapes 2001', a compilation of photographs by camera whiz Sreeram, at the Landmark in Spencer's Plaza on Saturday. The proceeds from the sales go to the Banyan's corpus.

``The wards in our care increased from 90 to 150 once we moved into the new complex. There are calls everyday referring someone and we can't refuse them. But, right now, we are finding it difficult to meet even daily necessities,'' says Vandana.

Perhaps because of `high-profile' friends of The Banyan - which includes film industry bigs and a host of other businessmen - the NGO is perceived to be flushed with cash. ``Our friends can give us time, but where will all the money we need come from?'' she asks.

That's where the calendar comes in. Priced Rs. 150, the calendar can be customised - with company logos - at no extra charge. ``We are looking at bulk orders from corporates.''

The photographs are choice picks from the Sreeram archive. ``These are all pictures taken during my travels. I took that child's picture when in school,'' he says. He captures light in layers, playing hide-and-seek with a range of emotions, landscapes and themes.

The launch was peppered with stars. Besides Sreeram, Shyaam, Kushboo and director Vasanth were present to get autographed pictures from the cinematographer. Vasanth was introduced as the person who introduced Simran. ``I introduced Jyotika too,'' he whispered to the compere. Shyaam as the most famous passenger of 12-B and Kushboo, in smart beige, as someone who took time off to make her way through the potholes.

Last year, The Banyan introduced greeting cards to help them meet recurring expenses. The calendar this year was a natural extension, which will be joined by greeting cards soon.

The calendars are currently available in greeting card and lifestyle retail outlets like Landmark.

By Feroze Ahmed

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Section  : Features
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