Fashion photographer Raj Shetye has been criticised for a photo series allegedly inspired by the horrific rape on a bus in Delhi that caused worldwide revulsion.
The collection of images entitled 'The Wrong Turn' depicts a woman being attacked by two men on a bus, reminiscent of the horrific gang rape of a young girl in New Delhi in December 2012.
Unsurprisingly it has sparked outrage, with many taking to Twitter to express their revulsion.
Shetye has been quick to defend his work. In an interview with Buzzfeed, he said the project was an attempt to make people think about the safety of women in society but he denied that these images were based on the Delhi incident.
When asked why he chose to depict this type of violence in his photos, Shetye replied, "Being a photographer, the only medium I can communicate in is photos."
Sheyte also claimed he thought of the idea for the shoot several years ago, but that he had taken his time creating it to ensure that he "didn't create something irresponsible".
"This is in no way meant to glamorize the act, which was very bad," Shetye said. "It's just a way of throwing light on it."
For this reason, none of the designer labels worn in the shoot have been credited because the project is meant to "create art that will gather some reaction in society," and is not for commercial gain. Or could it be that designers know associating their clothes with rape is spectacularly bad for business?
"The message I would like to give is that it doesn't matter who the girl is," he added. "It doesn't depend on which class she belonged in – it can happen to anyone... We stay in a society where rich people roam in cars, and poor people who roam in public transport are in danger."
Despite the criticism of his work, Shetye said that although it didn't make him happy, he is "satisfied" that his work has been "impactful".
Is Sheyte's photo series "impactful" in the right way? Or has he taken a massive wrong turn with these photos?
Tweet us your thoughts @MyDailyUK.
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