No Filter: Renuka is totally in love with her body and skin

Recently, I spoke to Renuka Retnaswamy, a popular photographer, who has shot big jewellery campaigns and worked with actress Trisha. By the time I was done with the conversation, I felt like she was my soul sister. 

Her unfiltered self-portraits and photos depicting her love for her husband is a better representation of a modern Indian romance than any movie or TV show that I have ever seen. This is what actual love looks like, and not stalking a woman on an MTC bus (like how it is portrayed in films). 

With many people’s social media posts planned in advance and highly curated online personas, Renuka’s posts come as a surprise. 

“It developed without me thinking consciously. I am just being me - this is how I speak with my friends and I write about what I am thinking or feeling. My social media account is an extension of me. The more I speak my mind, it resonates better with people. I receive many messages every time I post something about my husband or my relationship. 

Sometimes, I get messages to do with skin tone and how I’ve inspired them. I also get questions about love and relationship. And I give them advice as a friend, not an expert in the field. 

Sometimes, I wear a bathing suit - this it to tell the world not to be shy or ashamed of your body. When you are in love and you are married to someone it’s normal and okay to express affection, it’s healthy. 

Studying and living abroad really changed the way I think. Many people message me saying, ‘It’s nice to know that I am not the only one who misses my loved one while trying to make long-distance work.’ 

We feel so unique in the world, but human emotion is universal. People need to be more open and less filtered and inhibited when it comes to displaying emotions,” she says. I can’t help but agree with her. Normal is a human construct and it’s up to us to redefine it. It’s okay to hug and kiss your loved ones or hold hands; it’s not just for pre-wedding shoots! 

Renuka has a much-loved body of work but what has resonated with women are her self-portraits and the confidence with which she lives in her own body and skin. Her pictures in which she wears everything from Kanchivarams to bikinis has inspired women to shed their inhibitions and insecurities and to embrace their natural shape and colour. 

“During my 20s I used to binge on junk food and I thought I was chubby looking. I love my body and what I focus on is healthy eating and following a better and active lifestyle,” the photographer says. She signs off with more words of wisdom, “I just turned 30 and I have all the time in the world to achieve my goals and dreams. I’m not part of any rat race nor do I live my life according to a timetable (that may work for others). I plan to shoot till I’m 70 and my best works are yet to come.”