Raihan Vadra's photo exhibition to open in Bengaluru on December 11 after Delhi row

Raihan Vadra's photography exhibition, 'No Idea is Final', will open at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC) on December 11, following a controversy over the removal of several photographs from its planned Delhi showcase last month.

Vadra, the 26-year-old son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra, told Hindustan Times that preparations were underway to finalise the photographs for the Bengaluru exhibition. He said the event had been planned independently of the Delhi show, with dates at the BIC already booked before the controversy at Bikaner House.

“I was already taking the show to BIC and the dates were booked even before the Delhi exhibition,” he said.

As this will be his first exhibition in Bengaluru, Vadra said he wanted to present a diverse collection of his work rather than focus exclusively on the photographs that were removed in Delhi. However, he confirmed that a significant number of those images would be included in the upcoming showcase.

Bikaner House controversy over protest photographs

The exhibition was originally scheduled to feature 104 wildlife and street photographs taken over four years at Bikaner House in New Delhi between October 22 and 25.

However, hours before the preview on October 21, the venue's management asked Vadra to remove 74 photographs. Several of the images had been shot over the preceding six months and documented protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the national capital.

In a statement circulated at the exhibition's opening, Vadra said the Bikaner House management had objected to what it described as the political nature of the photographs.

He said the management had informed him that all works considered political by principal resident commissioner Rohit Kumar had to be removed by 3.30 pm on October 21, failing which the entire exhibition would be cancelled.

The Bikaner House management defended its decision in a statement issued the following day, saying certain photographs on display were inconsistent with the policy of the Bikaner House Management Society and that their removal had therefore been requested.

It maintained that Bikaner House was a public cultural institution dedicated to promoting art and culture, and that exhibitions and related activities were required to comply with the society's policy. Photographs considered consistent with the policy were allowed to remain on display.

Bikaner House is owned and managed by the Rajasthan government.

Vadra says he went ahead with the Delhi exhibition

Vadra complied with the management's demand and removed the photographs, allowing the remaining exhibition to proceed.

Explaining his decision, he said he felt it was important to continue with the showcase because of the effort invested in it by him and the people working alongside him.

For the Bengaluru exhibition, however, the available space could limit the number of photographs on display. Given the dimensions of the BIC exhibition venue, it is unlikely that all 104 photographs originally planned for the Delhi show will be accommodated.

Vadra said he was still deciding which photographs, and how many, would make it to the final collection. He reiterated that the Bengaluru exhibition would cover a wider range of his photography, even as several of the images removed from Bikaner House would be included.

Hindustan Times has contacted the Bangalore International Centre for confirmation of the exhibition and is awaiting its response.