time.
His
work is a faithful chronicle of the Hyderabad State under Mir Osman
Ali Khan - the VII Nizam of Hyderabad. The era of Mir Osman Ali
Khan and the transfer of power to the Indian Union, the Razakar
movement and the advent of the Nehru clan have all been recorded
by Ami Chand.
To
him goes the credit for preserving the remarkable photographs that
survive. Ami Chand devoted 65 years to the art of photography. In
his lifetime Ami Chand worked as hard as his grandfather documenting
the events of Hyderabad in the years from 1935 to 1984; travelling
throughout the state on hunting expeditions and visits of the Nizam
to the districts. In addition to the huge field cameras and studio
camera, Ami Chand used the Graphlex and Zeiss Ikon cameras. His
expertise lay in close supervision of the staff after having perfected
the techniques through years of practice in the darkroom himself.
Ami Chand witnessed the outstanding success of Deen Dayal exhibitions
in Bombay, Pune and London between 1979 and 1982. The prints displayed
at these exhibitions were made from the original glass plate negatives
under the technical supervision of Ami Chand. There was a large
daylight enlarger which could hold the 10x12 glass plates for exposure
in daylight. Being a qualified artist Ami Chand often undertook
hand colouring of photos with stunning results. Retouching and finishing
were other special aspects which Ami Chand scrutinised to produce
high quality work.
Ami
Chand was an extremely amenable person, known to a large circle
of Hyderabadi gentry as the nobleman behind the camera who could
be relied upon for outstanding photos on all occasions. The Deen
Dayal studio near the parade ground was huge and beautifully decorated
with portraits, paintings and views of all types, artistically displayed
in ornate wooden showcases with glass façade. As one walked
into that gallery of attractions, he would fondly guide the visitor
through the exhibits, with an understandable sense of pride in his
work.
Ami Chand was selfless in his promotion of photography. He provided
Siasat, a leading Urdu daily with outstanding historical pictures
of Hyderabad. These were published every Sunday and later put up
in special exhibitions held by Siasat in the city and abroad. Ami
Chand was also responsible for handing over the finest selection
of photos to Clark Worswick for his book “ Princely India”
which was the first outstanding coffee table publication on the
work of Deen Dayal. His contribution has been acknowledged in the
book.
His family life was simple, disciplined and yet full of the joys
of a happy household. His ambitions were limited to promotion of
his work. He won awards for excellence in photography for his pictures
of “Reflections” and portrait of Rabindranath Tagore.
Ami Chand passed away in 1984 . The last two years of his life were
marked by indifferent health and recluse.
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