Abhay Sardesai: One has noticed how Photography has, over the last decade or so, been increasingly used in conjunction with other art practices. Photographs are used in installations, with videos, in paintings, and with sculptures. Is this an indication of the state of crisis that Photography finds itself in as a stand-alone art form? Does the complementary role it plays vis-a-vis other art forms do it a disservice? Is there a new turn at all in Photography, at the moment, as galleries would have us believe?

Matthieu Foss: Photography has an interesting history in India. The British brought it with them, and passed it on. Some of the Maharajas became very famous for the photographs they took. Until very recently, there was not much exposure for photography other than its commercial use in magazines and advertising. Photographers need a platform; they need exposure and guidance to show their work. I think the turn today is about people paying more attention to image making.

Shahid Datawala: Photography took off here in the '40s and '50s, when there was a lot of commercial photography happening for magazines. Along the way, photographers started stepping out of their regular ways of seeing things. That is when photographers in India first started thinking about photography as an art form - as something that came out of a person's personal experience. Earlier, photography was always documentational. Where does one draw the line between documentary photography and art photography? I think it is a very subjective thing. Some documentary photography can be very artistic and accomplished.

Zehra Jumabhoy: How does this relate to your work?

Shahid Datawala: I think my work draws from a combination of both. I am documenting something that is very historical, but I am doing it in a very artistic fashion. Even though my photography is about documenting something before it dies out (cinema halls, for example), it is related to fine art. I am not documenting for a newspaper or a magazine.

David De Souza: Photo-artists have always been there but they have not had much commercial exposure. I have always wanted to do personal work rather than commissioned work (commercial work like advertising, for example). But, until now, one could not sustain oneself just doing personal projects.

I want to puncture a hole in the idea of art direction in India. An art director makes sure, inspite of what you might feel, that you are hired mainly for your technical skills - to press the buttons and produce good light and shadow work. You can see the problem with this - when commercial photographers show their so-called personal work, there is so little to see.