In search of solitude

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

India | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 5 photos

Each day presents to us many moments that spark our imagination and through pictures a photographer illustrates his perception of the moment. I grew up in small town India but have spent my adult life in cosmopolitan cities in the US and now in Hong Kong. These pictures were taken one day in August this year when I was visiting Mumbai for work. While I enjoyed the sophistication and modernism of Mumbai, I have tried to capture the small town sensibility and the search for space, privacy and solitude in a megapolis.

The first picture is of the Worli – Bandra sea link. It was early in the morning and in that moment the sea link looked imposing, like a barrier straining to contain the growth of the city. The next two pictures are of Mumbai’s local train, which is like a town in itself with its many moods and glimpses. The first one is taken from the first class compartment looking into the general section. The class divide, where the elite can afford space, sleep, and exclusivity for 70 Rupees while the commoners huddle together in the general compartment, on their feet as always. The third picture is of an old man looking outside the window and contemplating. In this fast paced city, I was curious by this moment of reflection, stillness, mystery. The fourth picture is from Bandra bandstand, this is an easily accessible place yet offers some privacy to young lovers and on any given day you can see many couples resting on these rocky beaches. For this particular pair, the yellow of her sari caught my imagination as it provided a stark contrast to a humid overcast day. The last picture is on my way back in a Mumbai auto. The interplay of lights from the stoplight and from all the neon signs in the streets created a simple yet magical moment.