Bello: A Groundbreaking Calendar Celebrating the Ambitions & Dreams of Acid Attack Survivors

[The Bello - Women's Day Calendar can be viewed and bought here.]

“I have shot models before, and trust me, these girls are far more comfortable than them in front of the camera. For the first shoot, we counselled them about being confident and not worrying about anything. As it turns out, I wouldn’t even have my camera ready and the girls would already be posing. They’re so amazing that it’s hard to see past their beauty.”

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Delhi-based filmmaker and photographer Rahul Saharan in collaboration with Stop Acid Attacks is coming out with a first-of-its-kind calendar featuring acid attack survivors. Breaking the mould, this calendar features the dream professions of these survivors, goals that they had always aspired to before being attacked, that they are now continuing to strive hard to achieve. Shot by Rahul and two other renowned photographers, Belgium-based Passcal Mannaerts and Surabhi Jaiswal, the calendar featuring 11 women is called 'Bello,' which is Italian for 'courage and inner beauty'.

“I was 13 and he was 36 when he attacked me with acid in the name of love,” Dolly, one of the acid attack fighters, shares her story. “He used to tease me when I used to come from school. At that time, I was unable to figure out such things... I just wanted to study and become a doctor, but due to this attack I am now unable to study properly so I have discontinued my education. But I want to start again, and want to fulfil my dream to serve people. That's why I'm here, I guess, I want to make people happy, help them and serve them."

Having caught up with Rahul previously on his immensely powerful photoshoot, we reached out to him once again to know more about this unique calendar that seeks to focus on the ambition and dreams of these girls, thus breaking the taboo associated with acid attack survivors who are generally either completely isolated from society.

The online calendar is going to be available for purchase from all around the world, and the money raised by these calendars will go towards the rehabilitation of the survivors, as well as towards helping them achieve their respective dreams. Conceived by the NGO, the shoot took close to six months as the photographers had to plan around the reconstructive surgeries of the survivors, and also had to shoot in a controlled environment due to the sensitivity of their skin.

"Artificial light has been used for a lot of the shoot," Rahul explains. "Since their skin is sensitive from the surgeries, we've used tubelights and tried to keep the backgrounds simple as far as possible. Their comfort is our first priority, and we would never shoot until they were comfortable with the surroundings. For those whom I hadn't interacted with before, I'd try and get to know them first and only then go on to shoot, and I believe this really comes through in the photographs. When indoor shoots weren't possible, we've gone on to shoot outdoors. In the case of Dolly and Gita, we shot at Sheroes cafe in Agra, which is a cafe-cum-boutique, where we showcase Rupa's designs and also have books for customers to go through. We also accept volunteers here."

It is the idea of beauty in society that Rahul hopes to change more than anything else, to raise awareness about the survivors of acid attacks, and to ultimately empower them and equip them with the means achieve their dreams. The NGO Stop Acid Attacks doesn't take funds from the government or any multi-national corporations, but looks instead to the public in a request not just for capital, but an effort to affect change. Rahul has worked on the shoot on no budget, and tells us that he really enjoys doing this for projects which are close to his heart, going to speak about the important and positive role that women play in shaping society.

"It’s important that there we become more sensitised as a society when it comes to issues like acid attacks," says Rahul. "It’s high time we stop being so individualistic, and help out how we can to do away with social evils like these."

[The Bello - Women's Day Calendar can be viewed and bought here.]