Frames for a noble cause

Almost three decades ago, he had given up his passion, to focus on his career in medicine. But when Dr P Srinivasan, chairman and co-founder Jeevan Blood Bank and Research Centre, reconnected to it a decade ago while recuperating from an illness, little did he know that he could combine his passion and profession to serve a cause. His ongoing exhibition at The Amethyst, presents the fascinating world of wildlife to raise funds for the bank that has been functioning since 2008. Cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells (precursors to blood cells), they can be used to treat various types of leukaemia (one of the most common types of cancer) and thalassemia (a genetic blood disorder). He says, “With more than 25 million births taking place in the country, in the beginning, we knew it wouldn’t be a challenge to get 50,000 to be registered for cord blood every year. 

Being a not-for-profit centre, however, the cost of procedure which involves Rs 30,000 for cord blood and Rs 6,000 for the HLA typing of the donor is definitely a challenge.” He adds that corporate social responsibility in health hasn’t moved beyond donating equipment, whereas for the bank the costs include administrative and procedural too. Buoyed by the success of his previous exhibition in 2012, in which he had raised Rs seven lakh, Dr Srinivasan decided to put together a new theme from the photographs taken in the last four years. Making three to four trips every year, he has covered most places on his bucket list, including the arctic, Antarctic, Annapurna base camp in the Himalayas, submarine expedition in the Pacific off Bahamas. 

“This exhibition features photographs shot at Jim Corbett National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Kaziranga National Park and Kanha Tiger Reserve. It also covers Serengeti in Tanzania and Botswana in Africa,” he explains. From dramatic frames of lions to elephants and leopards on picturesque landscapes, his collection is intriguing. However, he is more fascinated by zebras. “I like the stripes on zebras — they allow me to play with different backgrounds and light conditions,” he points out.