Photography has always been a fascination of mine. Like any other millennial, I had much less exposure to film cameras. With the digital cameras at our disposal today, we often forget the technological advancements we made. The limitations of film cameras were many, the most prominent of which is the limited number of shots that could be taken in it (mostly 36). This limitation forced the photographers to be better observers, who often had just once chance to get a shot right, and that too with the post-processing techniques which we use today to beautify even a dull and boring image. In spite of these challenges, the photographs of those time were truly mesmerising, even in some cases better framed and planned.

At least some of you might know that my main work is in the field of Artificial Intelligence. (To know more visit kiranscaria@github.io). The developments in the field of AI has been surpassing our expectations. We are able to accomplish things that are previously thought to be hard or impossible to achieve. One of such things that I encountered recently is DeOldify by Jason Antic. I will be publishing the technical explanation of it on kiranscaria@github.io. But before that, I thought I would share some of the coloured images obtained.

The particular event that we are looking today is the Indian Independence Struggle.

Indian Independence Movement is a century-long fight by the citizens of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh against the occupying British forces. Much has been written about this event, often from the British perspective. But, as the saying goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. We might have seen many of these pictures in black and white, now let’s try to see what would it have looked like in colour.

indian_independence-lab-bal-pal-24 — **The Great Lal-Bal-Pal, men who changed the political discourse of the Indian independence movement.** *Photograph: http://www.thebetterindia.com*

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s transformation into Mahatma Gandhi began from the Champaran Satyagraha, which was his first successful mass movement.

indian_indpendence-jinnah-24 — **Gandhi leaves the home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of the Muslim League, en route to the Viceroy’s Lodge in Delhi on November 24, 1939.** *Photograph: Kulwant Roy/Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images*

indian_indpendence-simon-commision-38-1 — Source: Published in
The Teacher’s Role in Innovative Social Science Teaching

simla-1945-24 — **Leaders Conference at Simla June- July 1945. Congress** Working Committee meets in Simla. In this picture Sardar Patail, Dr Pattabai Sitaramaya; Dr Khan Sahib and Shri Shankar Rao Deo, are seen. (PIB) Source: IndianExpress

indian_independence-quit-india-41 — **Quit India Movement 1942** *Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/quit-india-75-years-mahatma-gandhi-british-rule-simon-go-back-independence-1028512-2017-08-08*

1947-parliament-32 — **Lord Mountbatten addressing the Independence Day Session of the Constituent Assembly on August 15, 1947.** Seated at his right is Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the Assembly. *(PIB) Source: IndianExpress*

ina-kadam-kadam — **Captain Ram Singh, who had composed the patriotic song ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja’ plays the violin for Gandhiji at the Harijan Colony, 1945.** *Photo by Kulwant Roy (1914-1984) and photo* credit: *Aditya Arya Archives, Chairman & Trustee, India Photo Archive Foundation.*

british-leisure-32 — Heading for the hills: arriving at Simla, the summer capital of the Raj *Source*: *GETTY IMAGES*

*Source: https://funalive.com/articles/100-year-old-photos-of-india-from-british-raj_mZM.html*

indian_indpendence-jinnah-22 — **Mountbatten, his wife Edwina and Jinnah at the Viceroy’s House, now Rashtrapati Bhavan, April 9, 1947.**
*Photograph: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images*

british-leisure-45 — This photo was taken in India circa 1880. *Photo / Getty Images*

cahuri-cahura — **Chauri Chaura Incident** *Source: ZeeNews*

Chauri Chaura is a small town in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for the Chauri Chaura Incident, in which the police first killed several peaceful demonstrators and, later an angry mob set an entire police station on fire thereby killing 22 policemen.

indian_independence-scbose-27 — **Subhash Chandra Bose and** Dr Lakshmi Swaminathan, along with Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Source: https://www.culturalindia.net

The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was the Women’s Regiment of the Indian National Army, the armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 It was one of the very few all-female combat regiments of the Second World War on any side.

indian_independence-ina-37 — **A trooper of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment in training, 1940s** *Source: Wikipedia*

culcutta-22 — **European Quarter, Calcutta, India, 1922.** *Source: Photo / Getty*

indian_indpendence-amritsar-partition-15 — **The burned-out Hall Bazaar shopping street after communal riots in Amritsar during Partition.** *Photograph: Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images*

Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru deep in conversation at the All-India Congress Committee meeting in Bombay in 1942.
Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

indian_independence-scbose-germany-18 — **Subhash Chandra Bose in Germany** *Source: Wikimedia Commons*

indian_indpendence-gandhi-20 — Gandhi leaves Maor Ville, his Simla residence, during the Leaders Conference in 1942.
He is helped to his car by his physician Dr Sushila Nayyar.
*Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images*

**Bengal Famine of 1943** *Source:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-bengal-famine-of-1943.html*

culcutta-19 — **Calcutta Port** *Source: IndiaToday*

indian_independence-scbose-hitler-2-22 — **Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (centre) shakes hands with Adolf Hitler in Berlin in May 1942.** *Universal History Archive / UIG via Getty Images*

indian_independence-indian-servent-22 — **A British man gets a pedicure from an Indian servant.** | *Photo: ResourcesforHistoryTeachers* Wikispaces

measuring-land-45 — **Measuring land for cultivation, Allahabad, India, 1877.** © *Global Look Press / Science Museum*

people-fleeing-partition — **Refugees cram the coaches of a train, the buffers and the roof as they prepare to leave the New Delhi area for Pakistan, 1947**. © *Global Look* Press/imago stock&people

people-fleeing-partition-2-32 — **Refugees from small villages throng platform and railway lines as they await their trains to take them out of Pakistan and into India, 1947.** © *Global Look* Press/imago stock&people

indian_independence-scbose-congress-1-33 — **Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was elected president of the Congress in 1938 defeating Mahatma Gandhi’s candidate** Pattabhi Sitaramavya in 1938. *Source: https://archive.mid-day.com*

bengal-famine-2 — **Starving children in India, 1945**

george-v — **King George V and the Queen arrive in Delhi in 1911.**

culcutta-29 — **Calcutta City** *Source: IndiaToday*

lahore-17 — **Lahore: The 1929 session of Congress was held in Lahore and it was for the first time that ”Declaration of the Independence of India” was passed on 31st** December 1929. During the Lahore session, the Tricolour was adopted as the national flag and January 26 was selected as Independence Day of India. *Source: ZeeNews*

indian_independence-scbose-3-22 — **Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a rare image with Sarojini Naidu (R) and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (in** the cap) *Source:archive.mid-day.com*

freedom-22 — **Freedom like a whiff of fresh air engulfs the Raisina Hill. Men, women and children try to absorb the long-awaited moment.** *(PIB) Source: Indian Express*

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Recently, I had the good fortune to visit the eastern front of Western Ghats, once again. Every visit to these beautiful hills is a mesmerising one, quite difficult to be expressed in words. The ~40 km ride through the Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary is in itself a reward. With each consecutive kilometre, you experience the temperature going down, the mist stroking your body, chills in your body and if it’s raining or cloudy you will also have chills down your spine. The path to the Kodaikanal hills is a driver’s dream; both beautiful and challenging at the same time. Here, are some photographs from the trip. I will update more photos in the coming days.