“Bindu, (dead) body.” Every day, Bindu VV receives calls from the local police to photograph people who have died in accidents or under suspicious circumstances. Armed with her Canon SLR, she races to the crime scene on her motorcycle, even in the dead of night, to take pictures that will help the police prepare their investigative reports.
Bindu, who lives in Kodungallur in Kerala’s Thrissur district, has photographed more than 3,000 bodies. Her journey as an investigative photographer began in 2002, when she worked as a receptionist in a photo studio. She was not interested in photography. But when a few lighting assistants started learning the basics while the studio owner was away, Bindu joined them. What started as a curiosity soon became a passion. She mastered the basics within six months.
One day, when no photographer was available for the investigation, Bindu was asked to intervene. The case involved a three-year-old girl who was thrown into a well by her mother, who was living with a mental illness.
Bindu, a mother of two, was uncomfortable photographing a dead child and expressed her reluctance to undertake such tasks in the future. She was happy when she was doing wedding photography. But a few weeks later, Bindu was reassigned to investigate. She went but in her nervousness forgot to use the camera flash. She quickly realized her mistake and shot again.
She faced many such challenges in the initial days, says Bindu. One time she forgot to put film in the camera. At other times, she missed key points of view of the deceased because she was tense. But she soon overcame these fears. “The more I dealt with dead bodies, the more comfortable I became,” says the 46-year-old. “People ask why I stick with investigative photography. I tell them it’s my karma. It feels like doing the last rites of a person, so it’s special to me.”
Bindu was recently featured in photographer and artist KR Sunil’s book, Velichappadum Pokkattadikkarum, which captures the lives of ordinary individuals who remain unsung and undocumented. He writes, “For the past 23 years, Bindu has documented death, its profound numbness and the harsh realities of life. This remarkable achievement requires great patience and dedication.”
The road to independence
In 2005, Bindu took a break from work after he got married and moved to Bengaluru. When she returned to Kodungallur in 2008 with her husband, she initially found it difficult to get photography assignments. “It was difficult for us to place her. But Bindu didn’t let that deter her. When the opportunity came, we hired her and she did well,” says S. Xavier, sub-inspector, Kodungallur police station. “Bindu knows what needs to be done and how to do it. He handles all his tasks with great attention to detail.”
Bindu continued to take on investigative assignments after separating from her husband in 2014 to care for her two daughters, one of whom lives with autism. She also had to care for her estranged husband’s parents.
That’s when a policeman came to her aid. Using his salary certificate, she secured a bank loan of ₹2,000 to buy a Canon SLR camera. It was the first time she had owned a camera – and it filled her with a deep sense of hope. Today, Bindu handles investigative photography for seven police stations, mostly in Thrissur district. Every day, often at night, he receives calls from at least two police stations.
Santhosh Kumar, a senior investigative photographer who helped Bindu early in her career, says, “Many photographers refuse to take pictures of dead bodies, but Bindu doesn’t mind. She is fully committed to her work.”
Not for the faint of heart
Although Bindu is used to seeing corpses, some experiences are etched in her memory. In 2020, she walked into a house in Palloot near Kodungallur where four family members had killed themselves. The suicides made her wonder – what made them do it? “I’ve seen how fragile life is, and many deaths have left me with unanswered questions, but I prefer to keep those thoughts to myself,” she says.
Another time, “a 65-year-old man was reported missing, and despite reports from the patrol, there was no trace. Finally, members of the Kudumbashree unit—a poverty eradication and women’s empowerment initiative in Kerala—discovered his bones under a tamarind tree at Mathilakom near Kodungallur. It was the first time I had photographed a human skeleton.
Life lessons
Bindu’s journey has not been without obstacles. “Since I took on this role, I know what needs to be done,” she says, but some young police officers continue to reject her work, she adds. However, Bindu remains undeterred. “After work, I rush home with a suitcase full of pictures of people who have passed away. Once I go inside to be with my children, I forget about the world outside,” she says. Older daughter Bindu plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, while her younger daughter, 16, attends a special school. “I have trained my elder daughter to look after her when I am not around. I avoid traveling outside Thrissur as my children need my support,” she says.
For her, photography is not about glamour, but a deep commitment, says Bindu, who earns between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 for each assignment. “The presence of dead bodies no longer frightens me, instead they teach me about the fragility and contradictions of life.”
When Bindu, who had to interrupt her studies after XII. class due to lack of financial support, she was invited as a guest speaker at a college a year ago, a student told her she wanted to become an investigative photographer. Bindu asked her if she is serious. “If you take it seriously, you will have a bright future. Otherwise, please don’t bother,” she told her.
The writer is a journalist from Chennai.
Published – 24 Oct 2025 20:08 IST
