Photographer Haran Kumar

Photographer Haran Kumar has a special affinity with the street kids he shoots in New Delhi — not so long ago, he was right there amongst them. After fleeing an unhappy family situation in 1994, Haran joined the throngs of homeless children who live in and around New Dehli railway station. Eventually he was plucked from the tracks by aid organisation Salaam Balak Trust and given another chance at school before becoming part of Dutch photography project Home/Live — providing cameras and instruction to homeless kids in 11 cities around the world.

A photographer was born, and seven years later, Haram has hosted exhibitions in Holland, the UK and South Africa while shooting for international newspapers and ad agencies. He continues to focus on the subject he knows all too well – Indian street life: ‘I wanted to portray the dreams, desires and aspirations of people who lived on the streets. It was a life I had led, a life that had made me tough. A life that changed my inner personality and my outer perspective’.