Author’s Note

This book did not start in the form into which it has now evolved. Like many, I was smitten by the camera at the first go, and the desire to capture mystical portraits of tigers in their full glory took me into the woods. But the jungle soon cast its spell upon me, and what started as an art project became the story of Hamir. The anger in his snarl and the innocence of his stare soon emancipated me from the boundaries of an artist and catapulted me into the realm of devotion, story-telling and, to be honest, love.

In compiling this book, I have shunned the luxury of picking picture-perfect photographs and have even deviated from my medium of choice-- black-and-white photography -- to ensure a true and candid account of the story of the tigers of Ranthambore, including that of Hamir’s. For nature is not about poses, but episodes stolen from life, delivered through years of patience and perseverance. In my journey as a photographer, Hamir has taught me a lot. A perfect photograph is a story in itself; it starts with an idea, builds into vivid imagination but soon takes a life of its own. The subject, dead or living, speaks to the photographer and the result is a child of this union, literally breathing and alive. Hamir – The Fallen Prince of Ranthambore is a form of art that betrays a lot of conventions.

Arjun Anand, August 2020
Author and Photographer