BackNovember 4, 2022 - December 2, 2022
The series, Desi Boys is about the unique phenomenon of sartorial choices and grassroots hip-hop movement that have helped disenfranchised youth find an outlet and a voice despite crippling odds in a country like India with rampant class and caste-based tensions, xenophobia, and vast income disparities.
This youth movement is fuelled by the democratization of smartphones and 3G/4G internet in the country along with the boom in app-based service marketplaces that connect customers to service professionals, leading to a sudden demand for jobs for the economically marginalized youth. This empowers them with a sizable disposable income, which helps them to indulge in fashion and music.
The young men dress up, take selfies and often as groups splurge on hiring photographers to have their portraits made. The series Desi Boys aims to become a vital documentation forming the wider global archive of lesser seen depictions of elements of Brownness by a South Asian like me in present times of tension in the region.
This youth movement is fuelled by the democratization of smartphones and 3G/4G internet in the country along with the boom in app-based service marketplaces that connect customers to service professionals, leading to a sudden demand for jobs for the economically marginalized youth. This empowers them with a sizable disposable income, which helps them to indulge in fashion and music.
The young men dress up, take selfies and often as groups splurge on hiring photographers to have their portraits made. The series Desi Boys aims to become a vital documentation forming the wider global archive of lesser seen depictions of elements of Brownness by a South Asian like me in present times of tension in the region.
Soham Gupta
