During this period, he found himself very unhappy – even depressed. “It’s very easy to lose yourself,” the Ipoh-born said in reflection.
It took a two-month backpacking trip to India in 2011 to rekindle his passion for telling stories through photos. This fire burned even brighter two years later when he volunteered with disaster-relief teams during the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
“I realised I wanted to create awareness for those who don’t have a voice, and pictures can tell a lot of stories. That became my life,” he said.
To wit: over the past 11 years, Kiran has travelled to nearby and faraway places to document events and the lives of fellow human beings.
His colourful social media profiles are filled with striking, often poignant images of his travels across Malaysia and to distant lands such as India, West Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia; with detailed descriptions, musings and philosophies on humanity and life in general.
More soberly, he has visited places hit by natural disasters to tell the stories of those affected by tragedy. These include the Gunung Kelud volcano eruption in 2014; the Nepal earthquake the following year; as well as floods in Chennai and, closer to home, in Malaysia’s east coast.
Through this work of immortalising both the significant and the everyday, the 46-year-old told FMT he has learnt the importance of living a life “where the act of giving, more than receiving, is the norm”.
‘Take time to digest’
Things, of course, came to a halt when the pandemic struck in 2020, causing Kiran to temporarily abandon his travels and take a rescue flight back to Malaysia from Goa, India.
“I spent the following months taking a break back home in Petaling Jaya. I had been moving around so much, it was good to be able to take time to digest everything,” he said.
“Then I started getting ideas again, wanting to explore Malaysia, photograph the culture and the tribes, see what’s happening and how I can get involved in social projects.”
True to form, Kiran has returned to doing what he loves most – while adding a new experience: organising events that “create good vibes”.
Currently based in Cherating, Pahang, he co-organised an event at the Cherating Beach Bar in conjunction with Holi in March, the festival of colours that celebrates new beginnings.
“It was a spontaneous idea – people came together, shared their talents, and magic happened,” Kiran said of the event that featured reggae DJ Easy Baba and fire-dance performances.
As for social outreach, one of his primary projects is capturing the lives of the Jakun tribe in Muadzam Shah, Pahang, in collaboration with the NGO Global Peace, who had contacted him for a photo essay.
According to Kiran, the villagers had previously been resettled by the government but have since moved back to the forest as they prefer to observe their traditional way of life.
He aims to spread awareness of the tribe through his photography, which, in turn, he hopes will help the villagers get access to clean water, as well as build their “rumah adat” – an important gathering place for cultural and social activities.
“I’d also like to create some artwork or organise events that will hopefully give a better vibe to the word ‘jakun’, which is still used as a pejorative by a number of Malaysians,” he added.
On a more leisurely note, Kiran is further documenting the life and culture of the surfing and skating communities in Cherating and Langkawi.
“The aim is to tell the stories of youths who are dedicated to teaching the younger generation, as well as creating a healthy and supportive environment around these alternative sports.”
He has been selected to be the official partner for the Langkawi Surf Cup 2022 – the island’s first-ever such competition organised by the surfing community – which will be held in July.
As for the immediate future, Kiran hopes to organise more arts and community events, “especially those that involve the reggae scene” – a largely underrated musical subset that has its fair share of practitioners and fans among the local community.
“There is no shortage of creative and talented people, and it’s a good time to bring people together,” he said of the endemic phase, inviting those who would like to collaborate with him to reach out via his social media.
“When we feed ourselves with the right mental diet of sounds, visuals, words and vibrations, everything changes,” Kiran added. “Ultimately, I want to live in a society that inspires, promotes creativity, and encourages one to do what they love.”
Learn more about Kiran’s adventures by following his Instagram and Facebook profiles.