A REBEL, a nonconformist, a loner....he addresses himself ruthlessly, and ends his introduction with a still harder adjective, "an anarchist." A brief interface with the man and the truth of the matter stands out — he is one of those men who rise from the throes of adversity to reach the zenith of their careers.

Today Pradeep Saurabh is not just another name in the field of art. He has a history of struggle to support his identity — right from his days in Allahabad University, when as a student he wrote columns for numerous newspapers, to this day when he has become a symbol within himself. There are many facets of his personality that leave one intrigued,

and one of them is his unusual surname, for which he offers the explanation, "I wrote very often during my student days,

but there was confusion as there were many writers by the name of Pradeep. I added Saurabh to my name so that I could be identified."

He maintains that art has always kept him company. "My fondness for it has, however, varied from time to time.

His first photo exhibition, being held at the Alliance Francaise gallery in Chandigarh till July 28, reflects the diversity of India as a nation. Where one frame captures the Golden Temple in its majestic grandeur, another shows the tough terrain of the harsh China border.

The works have been subtly touched up, but no special effects have been used anywhere so that the naturalness is not lost. The artist has drawn special inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of the country. He captures the intricate work done on the sarees of women at the Kumbh fair and also the aesthetic ambience of Surajkund. Then there are his creative ideas on display— one child is caught looking into nothingness. The works are all untitled, thus leaving absolute scope for imagination to have a say.

Pradeep's works are marked by their natural look and serenity of expression. The artist consciously abstains from any kind of artificiality. He captures moments as they are — with nothing understated or exaggerated. His unassuming style reflects his character — both unassuming and poetic.

"I acquired the skill of photography mainly to prove my talent to my friends. Most of my friends in Allahabad were photographers. One day someone challenged my skill as a photographer. That was when I bought myself a camera in order to prove that I could do what I wanted," Pradeep says.

As a poet, however, Pradeep has had a long innings. Being a resident of Allahabad, the cultural capital of India, Pradeep could not help imbibing its rich culture. He wrote his first poem at the age of 13, and after that there was no looking back. Later he also took up sketching and mastered the skill. His first exhibition of poems and sketches, held at Allahabad, was titled Meri kavita mere chitra.

As a poet too Pradeep speaks from his heart, drawing images from life, without any manipulations. "I keep craftiness out of my works, for I feel it harms the art," he says.

Coming to his take-one-day-at-a-time attitude, Pradeep says that he never forces himself to write or do creative work. "It just happens. People take ages to write a love poem but I remember I had just taken a few minutes. That is because I never controlled my thoughts. But I would like to tell you one thing, I have monitored the content of my productions very rigidly. In the process I have tried to improve upon my works."

This self-evaluation also plays a part in Pradeep's incessant search for identity. He adds, "All my life I have fended for myself.Even as a student I was earning to pay my fees. Self-respect comes first in my list of priorities. Everything else comes later."

His sensitive nature must have contributed a lot to his role as a poet, photographer and, last but not the least, as a journalist. He agrees. Ask him how he started writing and he says, "I was pained by the misery of others, hence began to write about them. Apart from that, the political turmoil also evoked a response. Allahabad was another catalyst. I worked for many newspapers, but my biggest achievement was a paper for children which was called Nanhe Munnon ka Akhbaar. It was so well received that I could not meet its rising demand. The production had to be discontinued."

That is not all about the man. At present he is working on something which is likely to be rated as a major contribution to the field of Hindi literature. He is soon going to put up an exhibition on the lives and works of noted figures in the field of Hindi literature. "I have taken photographs of prominent writers who represent three generations. With the photograph of each writer I am compiling a small part of his work. I want to tell the world about the literary geniuses this country has produced," says Pradeep.

Coming back to the photo exhibition, Pradeep informed that he plans to take it to Shimla, Kanpur, Allahabad, Banaras and probably to Mumbai and Delhi too.