Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil, but in Vasantha Yogananthan’s ‘Afterlife’ – shot over two editions of Dussehra in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu – the emphasis is on trance and transcendence. The penultimate chapter of ‘A Myth of Two Souls’, Yogananthan’s photographic retelling of the Ramayana, ‘Afterlife’ is a visual response to the bloody war between the armies of Ram and Ravana. Shot at night, and with a more vivid palette – deep reds, deep blues, deep black — Yogananthan’s characters appear mystical, occupying a space between reality and dream. ‘I wanted to find a way to condense time, so that the book can feel like just one night, one single, very long walk from light to darkness, and perhaps back to light again—but it’s very open at the end. You don’t really know if you are finally getting out of the darkness and walking toward the light, or if the darkness will be there always. The end of the chapter is really terrifying. Though Rama rescues Sita, it isn’t just a typical happy ending. They are together again, but they will never be together again.’ — We look forward to showing a group of images from ‘Afterlife’ for the very first time at Frieze London next week. In the meantime, Happy Dussehra! #vasanthayogananthan #ramayana #afterlife #mythoftwosouls #books #photography #dusshera