By Rucha Satoor
In Aurangabad, officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the vibrant home of Buddhist and Mughal architecture and culture, one is most likely to run into Neelima Paka, 37, at some grand event or massive political rally in the city.
This first-generation photojournalist is a pro at manoeuvring through large crowds, carrying her 15-kilo backpack full of photography equipment, and expertly capturing the mood of the moment. Indeed, over the last 23 years she has earned a reputation for her signature style of presenting the world through her lens.
The media space is highly male-dominated, print journalism even more so. As per the 2021 Global Media Monitoring Project Report, between 2015 and 2020, the number of female reporters in print, in India, dropped from 43 per cent to 13 per cent; while the number of women in TV came down from 60 per cent to 52 per cent.
A woman photojournalist is a rarer sight still, making the likes of Neelima, the lone female photojournalist in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, an inspiration to many young women, who want to rise above the system and blaze their own trail.
“Photojournalism is not easy. It’s not simply about learning to use the camera, but about learning to interact with people, learning to deal with crowds. Political events have Z-category security and you must be prepared to navigate any situation,” she shares.
Neelima credits her mother for teaching her the importance of education, independence and persistence: “My mother had moved from a small village, Saamangaon, in Ahmednagar district, to the city when her family was displaced due to the construction of Jayakwadi (Paithan) Dam. Though she had worked her entire childhood as a farm labour she was determined to finish her studies. When she finally managed to complete her matriculation, she secured a job as a clerk in the city’s Irrigation Department. Although my father was keen on a son, it was my mother who ensured that her three daughters understood the value of a good education. An uncommon choice in my time, she decided to put me in an English medium school. Every morning, when she rode her two-wheeler to the office, many people stopped to greet her with a respectful ‘namaskar’. I wanted to grow up and be just like her. I have retained my mother’s name to honour her memory.”
Following in her mother’s footsteps Neelima completed her matriculation, then decided to pursue a career in the arts, an even more uncommon choice. She did her BA in English Literature, followed by a Masters in Mass Communication from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. Later, she enrolled for a diploma in journalism from YCMOU Shramik Vidyapeeth. From then on, slowly, everything started falling in place.
It was Ashok Jadhav, Neelima’s professor at Shramik Vidyapeeth and an editor at Dainik Marathwada, who spotted her zeal and decided to mentor her; he roped her in ‘press chya cappa’, or the informal conversations amongst journalists who inform each other about various happenings in the city.
He also taught her how to shoot live videos. Neelima’s mother paid for her first equipment – a new Vivitar camera. And since she had to show up at events at all odd hours, her mother accompanied her so that she could work hassle-free.
Neelima learned and earned her way through college, as she participated in local photography competitions. She recalls, “I would simply turn up at events, uninvited! I’d click photos, then reach out to media houses with their prints. Gradually, they started offering me a small fee. Much later, they also started asking me to cover events. The first time I saw my name in print alongside a photograph in Lokmat, in 2001, was a big morale booster.”
As a student, she even volunteered to write and shoot stories for the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the Directorate of Visual Publicity. She was also invited for a study tour in the North East as a part of an inter-state government knowledge exchange programme.
That photography is not only an expensive vocation but requires constant practice and skill-upgradation was something Neelima realised early on.
She says, “I kept learning about angles and experimenting with them. Initially I would only take frontal shots of the speakers. Later, I started taking pictures from behind the speakers to gain an insight into the reactions and presence of the audience. Besides covering political events, I learnt portrait photography, too, and was called to shoot for the Diwali editions of Marathi periodicals. Then I practiced doing maternity shoots, new-born shoots, children’s portraits… In any case, photography has undergone drastic changes in the last few years. I started off with a film roll camera; I remember the days when I had to take off mid-event if I ran out of film. The final images were seen only after they were developed in a lab, which I used to do on my own. Transitioning to digital cameras has been simpler and we see the results in real time. I have adapted to changing situations by being a continuous learner.”
For Neelima, maintaining a thriving career, today, would be impossible without the support of her marital family. In 2010, she married journalist Manoj Tak, who works with Dainik Punyanagri. “My husband, Manoj, and mother-in-law, Pushpa Tak, appreciate my work. When I had my son in 2013, I was back to business-as-usual within two months. In the beginning, I carried my baby along. . My mother-in-law takes care of him now, so that I can go to work without any worry” she reveals.
Her husband has stood by her and gives her constant feedback on her pictures. “Photography is expensive and he has supported me financially to upgrade to a mirrorless camera. We co-paid a monthly EMI of Rs 35,000 – 40,000. He comes to pick me up when I finish late. I have to stay out late and work at odd hours. If working women don’t have a trusting partner they have to face unnecessary harassment at home. I’m lucky my family is unwaveringly supportive,” reflects Neelima.
While the challenges of being a female photographer are many, Neelima wants to help hone the skills of a new generation of young women. In 2014, she joined hands with Sewagram, Wardha, and UNICEF, to lead a workshop on writing and photography skills for girls from Latur and Chandrapur districts. It was a unique opportunity to train them to challenge patriarchy by developing keen observation skills, understanding light, and camera-handling.
When one of the youngsters at the workshop pointed out that “even though we want to click pictures of events in our village, it is difficult to handle the opposition of the elders and fend off the advances of wayward boys” she gave them a very important insight – one that Neelima has put into practice from the day she picked up the camera: “Photography for journalism may seem like a glamorous career but when you’re a female photographer, often you are the only woman standing among ten men. The most essential skill is the ability to protect yourself. You may be amongst a crowd of 2 lakh men at a political rally, some even be drunk and out of their senses. You need to be physically fit to carry your equipment and be on your feet for hours.”
Another issue is earnings. “True, this is not a consistently paying field. When you’re a district journalist, payments are low. But as you work, steadily things become better. Passion is the key to keep things going,” she says.
And then there are moments that make the struggle worthwhile. Neelima, a recipient of the Marathwada Bhushan Puraskar, recalls, “In 2001, I was taking photos of the chief guest at a student’s felicitation ceremony when she noticed me and asked, ‘What do you do?’ When I told her I was the first female photographer in Marathwada, she loudly declared to the gathering that ‘our country needs daughters like Neelima’. It was none other than IPS Kiran Bedi! I consider her compliment one of the highlights of my career.”
While a trailblazer like Neelima may be an exception today, she hopes to encourage more young women and increase her tribe.