There's a certain magic to the humdrum. The unassuming beauty parlour on the corner, a scene of quiet transformation, becomes the stage for a photo series by Harshini Boyalla and Lekha Rathnam, aptly titled 'Let's go to the parlour?'

This series isn't a how-to guide about getting the perfect brows. It delves deeper, questioning societal beauty standards and the symbolism woven into a strand of hair. Harshini and Lekha themselves were shaped by these spaces – one witnessing her mother's parlour; the other watching her older sisters meticulously groom and fuss over clean-ups and waxing.

In order to bring this project to life, jumped into into the heart of a complex narrative that took them on a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and even some reality checks through their visuals. Their mission was to capture the essence of parlours – not the upscale establishments or franchises, but the humble, homey spaces run by women that often double as community spaces.

They travelled to Mysore and the outskirts of Bangalore, knocking on over 20 establishments to capture stories, and roped their friends into their trips - all to capture authentic visuals that painted an accurate picture of the intertwined relationship between Indian women, beauty, and the spaces dedicated to it.

Through their lens, they ended up capturing much more than images; they captured stories of resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of building safe communities.

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