Saying cheese!

KATHMANDU:

For once the politicians are giving people a contagious reason to smile.

It was amidst much laughter and jokes that the smiling faces of Nepali politicians were unveiled at Gallery 32 at Dent Inn on March 23. The photographs put

up for the exhibition ‘Smiling State’ captured many politicians when they were smiling — either to win over the public or in their moments of solitude.

Photographer Pushpa KC was browsing through his photo archive for a topic to exhibit at the gallery when he noticed that unknowingly he had captured many smiling pictures of Nepal’s leaders.

“Because it was at the Dent Inn, at first I just picked the smiling faces with lots of teeth,” said KC. “I had about 300 pictures and saw the teeth of the leaders.”

There are pictures from as far back as eight years ago, but KC said the photos aren’t supposed to be beautiful. They are supposed to be sending a message to the public. As the leaders are smiling, he said the country should be smiling too in this somewhat calm period just before the Constituent Assembly elections because after the elections people may not have a reason to smile at all.

A smiling face always shows the human side of people. The photographer attempts to show just that for the politicians. Like their differing views, no two smiling pictures were the same.

If the various types of smiles couldn’t bring a twitch to the most sombre person at the opening, there were two of Nepal’s famous comedians to accomplish the task. Satirists Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha were there to inaugurate the exhibition. They cracked many jokes about the politicians to a roaring audience.

The exhibition will continue until April 10.