Bonjour India's Trip to France exhibition showcases the pulse of France in the 1970s

Bonjour India's Trip to France exhibition will showcase photographs Prof. Parman and Dalwadi clicked during his visit to France in the 1970s. The exhibition will be on display at Chitramayee, the State Gallery of Art, Madhapur. Prof. Dalwadi will be present at the inauguration today at 4:00 pm. The inauguration as well as the exhibition is open to all and has no entry fee. The exhibit will remain open from May 23rd –June 8th, 11 am to 6 pm. This exhibition is made possible with a long standing collaboration between Alliance Française of Hyderabad, Indian Photo Festival and Chitramayee State Gallery of Art. The event is part of the Bonjour India festival, an artistic, cultural, educational, and literary initiative by the Embassy of France and its cultural service Institut Français en Inde, the Alliance Française Network, and the Consulates of France.

Prof. Dalwadi visited France during the heyday of disco and boogie. This was a time when men sported long hair and mustaches and women oozed La Mode - life was good. Even French protesters donned stylish bell-bottoms, frayed jeans, midi skirts, and other fashionable apparel! Prof. Dalwadi captured the vibrant atmosphere in that country with his Nikon F. In his photographs shines the influence of Henri Cartier Bresson; the world-renowned photojournalist whom Prof. Parmanand Dalwadi accompanied during the former's journey to Northern India in 1965.

At the Trip to France exhibition, the 50 photographs on display will show some incongruous and unusual situations. They are replete with humor, tenderness, and authentic impressions of French society. A story accompanies every photograph. Visitors will not only be treated to images from a time when French culture was arguably at its most vivacious but also read a short story that tells more about the photographs. Visitors will see touching photographs that stand out in an era in which people are inundated with digital images. Some photographs feature Prof. Dalwadi's wife - Radium - whom he met in Paris.

Bonjour India's events are open to all and often located in public places to maximize accessibility. The initiative celebrates the partnership between India and France by providing easy access to French and Indian cultural arts. Bonjour India's events are meant to entertain audiences of all ages and backgrounds and to lead to lively and friendly discussions.