Hair force
THE WEEK India|May 19, 2024
Sheetal Mallar, in her photobook Braided, uses hair as a metaphor to tell a story that is personal yet universal
SUMITRA NAIR
Hair force

Hair has always been a part of a woman's identity. Be it short, long, thick, fine, curly, straight or wavy, it plays an important role in shaping her persona. I remember watching my grandmother comb out her thick, long, straight hair that fell beyond her waist. It was black with streaks of silver and looked like a magical waterfall to an eighty-year-old me.

I also recall whispering in her ear, “I want hair like yours.” And thanks to her carefully crafted hair-care regime, I had thick, waist-length hair till my late teens. My relationship with my curls fell through when they started misbehaving and the straightening bug bit me. Each woman's journey with her hair is different.

Model-turned-photographer Sheetal Mallar's photobook Braided conveys just that and more. Some of the pictures in the book evoke nostalgia; some are poignant, while some others are portraits of Mallar's mother and grandmother. The book also comprises illustrations, done by Mallar, and personal notes.

This story is from the May 19, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 19, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView All
The day of the knuckle-duster
THE WEEK India

The day of the knuckle-duster

Several narratives have emerged from the Donald Trump-Volodymyr Zelensky-J.D. Vance dust-up in the Oval office, the most disturbing being the opinion that “Zelensky invited it”.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
The AGI dilemma
THE WEEK India

The AGI dilemma

Spooky and powerful, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), the planet’s newest technology, has divine benefits, as also diabolical applications that can trigger our destruction.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
I want to transform MP into a powerhouse of development
THE WEEK India

I want to transform MP into a powerhouse of development

GIS 2025 surpassed expectations in investment commitments, participation, and policy impact.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 23, 2025
It is not NEP 2020, it is RSS 2020
THE WEEK India

It is not NEP 2020, it is RSS 2020

TAMIL NADU’S RESISTANCE to the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has reignited the debate over linguistic identity.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 23, 2025
Munde blues
THE WEEK India

Munde blues

Just months into its tenure, the Fadnavis government suffers multiple blows

time-read
3 mins  |
March 23, 2025
Plastic buckets and parliament seats
THE WEEK India

Plastic buckets and parliament seats

The plastics industry boomed in the 1970s when our rulers told our people to make fewer babies. The dairy industry, already on a high milkmark, should boom if Telugu Desam MP Kalisetti Appalanaidu gets people to make more babies. What’s the connection? Hold on. First listen to India’s population story that’s already a statistical farce, and may soon be a political tragedy.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
MDGA-Make Diplomacy Great Again
THE WEEK India

MDGA-Make Diplomacy Great Again

Must say that all the reports of 'Agent Krasnov' make fascinating reading—like one of those old school, thick-as-a-brick bestsellers that Irving Wallace and Robert Ludlum used to write.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
In search of Pampa
THE WEEK India

In search of Pampa

Salman Rushdie breathes life to the forgotten goddess Pampa Devi in his novel Victory City (2023).

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
Centre of attraction
THE WEEK India

Centre of attraction

If the enthusiasm at the Global Investors Summit is anything to go by, Madhya Pradesh is poised to write a new chapter of development

time-read
2 mins  |
March 23, 2025
RO AND BEHOLD!
THE WEEK India

RO AND BEHOLD!

As the Champions Trophy win showed, the Rohit Sharma-led veteran brigade might not be over the hill. However, they will have to be on their toes as age and younger talent catch up

time-read
5 mins  |
March 23, 2025