After the Applause (2024)

India’s declaration as a polio-free nation stands as a milestone in public health history—often celebrated as a triumph of science, governance, and national will. Yet beyond the statistics lies another reality: the enduring lives of those whose bodies were permanently shaped by the disease before eradication became possible. This documentary photography project explores that quiet aftermath, where national progress coexists with unresolved social and economic inequality.

At the centre of the photo essay is Shailendra Yadav, a 40-year-old polio-affected wheelchair cricketer from Bhopal, India, who has represented his region, state, and country in wheelchair cricket tournaments. In a country where cricket is both a cultural obsession and an economic ladder, his presence exposes a paradox. While the sport produces celebrity, wealth, and recognition for some, athletes with disabilities often remain outside the structures of visibility and financial security. Despite international participation, Shailendra’s livelihood remains uncertain—revealing how disability, class, and institutional neglect intersect within contemporary India.

The series shifts attention away from spectacle and victory. Instead of focusing solely on moments of play, the images linger on preparation, waiting, travel, domestic spaces, and recovery—the overlooked realities of sport without sponsorship or infrastructure. The wheelchair appears not as a symbol of limitation, but as an everyday tool of persistence, embedded in daily life.

“After the Applause” ultimately questions the meaning of inclusion within modern India. What happens to lives shaped by disease once public health attention moves on? What does international representation mean without sponsorship, healthcare support, or long-term security?

By situating one athlete’s life within a larger social landscape, this project reflects on the gap between national achievement and lived reality. The eradication of polio marked a biomedical success, but the work of social justice remains unfinished.