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kushti wrestlers
Behind
the lens
Currently based in Hong Kong,
46-year-old photographer Palani
Mohan was born in India and
raised in Australia. Along with two
books of photography, his work
has been featured in publications
across the globe, including
National Geographic
and
The
New York Times
. Often labelled
as a “wildlife photographer”,
Mohan says this was never his
intent, pointing out that even
his animal photography tends
to feature a human element. “If
you look at my wildlife work,
there’s always people in them. I
don’t really set out to shoot one
particular thing; it’s just what
interests me.” The kushti wrestler
project was inspired by Mohan’s
interest in finding communities
that are dying out. Rather than
spending just a few days shooting
the wrestlers, he has dedicated
several years to doing so. “I felt
like someone needed to go and
photograph them before it all
disappears – not in 50 years,
not in 100 years, but before it
disappears in the next 10 years.”
