The Last of the Bollywood Heroes

​

I spent six years living in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. During this period of time, I documented the lives of many of the South Asian men who made the place run. The labourers, the construction workers, the fisherman, the drivers, and the market workers. I made portraits of them. I took pictures of them at work and at leisure. It offered me a fascinating insight into the lives of this men. Many are very poorly paid for backbreaking work in the UAE's challenging climate. I would regularly visit one major construction site where, despite no common language, I formed a bond with a number of them. I wanted to create a project that showed them as dignified, strong individuals who would play up to the camera. The project is named for the first picture: a man who sat side on, faced me, and did his best to look like a movie star. 

​