Swati Bhattacharya & Rohit Chawla create ‘The Politics of Hair’

The film and installations displayed at India Art Fair, Delhi, show the cutting of hair as an act of rebellion

by exchange4media Staff
Published: Feb 10, 2023 3:04 PM | 2 min read

FCB India and Rohit Chawla launched a campaign, ‘The Politics of Hair,’ to highlight the age-old patriarchy observed in various cultures across the globe.

The Politics of Hair is the history of Hair and Her - given the news space and the headlines that history has denied it - a newspaper that will connect the dots and make you see for yourself that a woman's hair is never about the woman's hair.

The Film and installations displayed at India Art Fair, Delhi, show the cutting of hair as an act of rebellion against those who seek to control a woman’s agency by controlling her hair.

The campaign is the brainchild of Rohit Chawla, a contemporary photographer, along with Swati Bhattacharya, Creative Chairperson, FCB India. The song has been composed by Aanon H Siddiqua, a London-based Bangladeshi musician and performing artist.

Speaking on the campaign's launch, Bhattacharya states, “Unravel the history of a woman’s hair, and you unravel a history of subjugation that cuts across cultures, nations and generations. ‘Hair and Her’ calls for a clean cut with this past - asking every viewer to play a part in a plea for a freer future.”

“The dialogue around women, their place in society and the physical representation of this power dynamic is something that not only affects each one of us; it’s a conversation we all need to be part of,” said Rohit Chawla.