Becoming (Keerthana Kunnath for Tilfi Banaras)
The campaign honours four competitive athletes with varying personal trajectories of autonomy and life-stage transitions. Kavitha, a 40-year-old mother who entered the sport in her late 30s; Chitra, an experienced physical education teacher and former national-level rugby player; Jannath, a personal trainer who stepped into the competitive arena at age 20; and Bisha, a physique competitor whose breakthrough success in Malappuram redefined her personal conviction. Together, they represent a real, grounded cross-section of modern fortitude. (Tilfi)
‘Becoming’ unfolds through two complementary aesthetics: restrained and bold, each activating the body differently. The minimalist silks dissolve against the skin, their sole ornament a corner dancing paisley, creating silence that amplifies the wearer’s own presence, just like the wandering panthers in the Shikargahs. What emerges is a dialogue on heritage craftsmanship and a sculpted, moving body. The textile cedes nothing to passive display; instead, it positions heritage craft and ancestral motifs as extensions of agency itself. (Tilfi)
Through this encounter, ‘Becoming’ stands as an expansion of modern Indian identity. The subjects are positioned not as passive muses being dressed, but as active, self-determined women who occupy heritage architecture, competitive titles, and luxury textiles entirely on their own terms. (Tilfi)
Becoming, June 2026, Keerthana Kunnath, photography
Becoming, June 2026, Keerthana Kunnath, photography
‘Becoming’ is an artistic exploration of form, fortitude, and the handwoven saree. Emerging from photographer Keerthana Kunnath’s sustained work with women bodybuilders in Kerala, the project is set against the sun-dappled corridors and deep red-oxide floors of traditional Kerala architecture.
Through this encounter, ‘Becoming’ stands as an expansion of modern Indian identity. The subjects are positioned not as passive muses being dressed, but as active, self-determined women who occupy heritage architecture, competitive titles, and luxury textiles entirely on their own terms.
Kunnath was born in Beypore, Calicut, and splits her time between London and India.