ASSAVRI KULKARNI (Artist & Commercial Photographer)
NIRMAL KULKARNI (Herpetologist, Wildlife Photographer and Member of Goa State Biodiversity Board & Viper Specialist Group IUCN)
From Goa’s highest peaks to its deepest jungles, Assavri & Nirmal Kulkarni’s journey as a couple began in college, and 23 years later their dedication towards nature and sustainable living has helped them reach new artistic heights and a greater under- standing of Goa’s forest ecosystem.
What was your first impression of each other?
Assavri: I was 16 years old. It was our first year at Goa College of Art. I saw him petting some puppies. I went up to him and asked, “Do you also like stray dogs and animals?” He said yes. That was his first word to me. That’s how I think it started, with animals and nature.
Nirmal: We became close friends before we decided to spend a lifetime together. We’ve loved animals from the start, though it took a bit of time for me to get her to like lizards and crocodiles! For me, Assavri’s affinity for animals and nature was a star attraction, and so was her yummy tiffin box in art college, which I ate for over four years in a row!
What qualities do you admire in each other?
Assavri: I can never stay angry at him for a long because he’s just so funny. He can turn any crazy situation into something funny. He’s also an amazing storyteller. We cannot fall asleep without his stories at night. He’s got this very strong feminine side. He feels for little things around him. I guess that’s why he is into nature and wildlife.
Nirmal: Assavri is grounded and earth conscious in the most subtle ways. She is a culinary magician and a fairy with invisible wings (as my daughter Naia and I refer to her as). She loves to experiment with food and clothing, and is bohemian in many ways. I admire her commitment to yoga, something that she has pursued diligently for over a decade and half. Her photography skills are something I admire about her professionally. She is perhaps one of the few in her genre who use a trademark style of lighting subjects with natural light.
How has your partner contributed to your professional growth?
Assavri: Nirmal takes responsibility for helping me prepare for assignments and trips. I find his help very important because sometimes I’m so involved with my creative work that I just can’t take care of the little things. When we work on a project together, like our art exhi- bitions or photography exhibitions, we follow an entirely different kind of work ethic. We are brutally honest with each other. It keeps us both grounded, I think.
Nirmal: Assavri is my sounding board for all of my new ideas and proj- ects. She is our anchor at home too, as my professional career demands days away in the forest. To hold down the fort with a growing child, an assem- blage of pets and plants, and her own professional work is no small task! Besides this, she has stood strong for the challenges that I face for my opinions and public stands on conservation as well as sustainable tourism.
How have you influenced each other’s way of living and thinking?
Assavri: We have climbed the highest peaks of Goa together as teenagers, which I don’t think I would have ever done without him. I’ve held my first snake and gone to the forest and the sacred groves with him. With him I got to know a deeper, more focused side of nature.
Nirmal: Assavri plays a major role in what we eat and what we as a family do on a daily basis. My work and thought processes are long term, hence I decide on future plans. We both alternate in choosing and planning our holidays and are avid travellers.
How do you divide responsibilities with respect to family?
Assavri: We help each other at every opportunity although cooking is completely my department. I love to cook, so there’s no way he’s coming in there. Nirmal finds doing the laundry and cleaning to be a healing activity for him. He loves to do that. Whenever I am out on assignments, he takes full responsibility of our daughter’s routine.
Nirmal: For us, home chores and related responsibilities are also a time to spend together, as both of us have professions that take us outdoors for work.
