Ever thought of visiting a slum called Hollywood in Ahmedabad?
Ubiquitous filth and narrow labyrinths haven’t prevented children of Gulbai Tekra slum to have stars in their eyes.
In these days of discord, disharmony, conflict and competition, finding an affinity between two entities that are geographically far apart and no match to each other in socio-economic or cultural terms, is an impossibility.
But that is what this photo series did, and it went on to discover the impossible – A small slum area in the heart of the posh new city of Ahmedabad called HOLLYWOOD. The actual name of the area is Gulbhaitekra.
But a question arises that why the slum (Basti) called Hollywood?
Well, very few people know that photographer Kannagi Khanna framed women of the village like some of the Hollywood actresses.
Inspired by some Hollywood portraits, Khanna made the women of the village pose like the actresses and did a photo shoot. The photographs were appreciated worldwide. She also wrote about her experience on The Big Indian Picture.
The village came to light after the photographs circulated on the web and since then it’s called the Hollywood of Gujarat.
Besides this, the village is also known for selling Country made liquor, weed, cannabis at cheaper rates starting at Rs 30 to Rs 50 in black.
