Hiding her face is something that is slowly becoming a thing of the past for Rupa, an acid attack fighter, who posed for a photoshoot showcasing her own designs with much élan, along with Ritu, Lakshmi, Chanchal and Sonal, who are also coping with the same brutal reality. 6
‘I’ve been volunteering with Stop Acid Attacks (with whom this project is in collaboration with) for almost two years now, helping out with events and other projects,’ Homegrown.
‘When we were talking about how to showcase Rupa’s designs, we just asked ourselves – why can’t the girls do the shoot themselves? The girls had a great time posing for the series together, and there was a lot of laughter during the shoot.’
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‘It’s important that there we become more sensitised as a society when it comes to issues like acid attacks,’
‘It’s high time we stop being so individualistic, and help out how we can to do away with social evils like these.'
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"We wanted to keep the photos simple, candid and focus on their real laughter. Because no cosmetics can buy you that."
"There are only two kinds of reactions people have for acid attack victims, either of complete rejection or of sympathy. But we wanted to show their normal, emotional side,"
"We wanted to get them the respect that they deserve."
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"shelter,"
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Image Credit (all): Rahul Saharan
To support these women, visit www.stopacidattacks.org.
Find Rupa's designs online at Chhanv Boutique.