Portrait of Mom

Indu (1950-2006)

The Film Studio

What you don't see on cinema - is what makes you see it. Lights, Sets, Equipments and the Technician. This is my representation of backstage shooting moment.

The Water-girl

A tiny girl carrying vessel filled with water from the village well to her house. Inhabitants of The Bassein Fort (Vasai fort is the Sea fort in Vasai Road, which is a suburb towards north of Mumbai). It was established by the Portuguese as the headquarters of their Indian operations in 1534 and centre of their operations until 1739.

In The Alps

Rougemont, Swtizerland in the heart of Alps. Rougemont is located in the Pays d'Enhaut (high country) of the canton of Vaud.

This is the view from the platform of Rougemont railway station.

Quirky Village

City of Alberobello, Puglia Region, Italy. All houses in this town are made of stone with a conical roof and are so similar to each other that you can actually get lost... in its beauty of course!

Grain Grain Everywhere

Somewhere in Ropar district, Punjab, India. This is paddy crop spread evenly on a public road; possibly to sell it, i guess!

Smashed Visual

It happens only in India - people actually drive a vehicle with a smashed glass. Thats called optimum utility. This is a view from a public transport bus in Goregaon suburb of North Mumbai.

Very Close To Another Country

Ever been on an international border? Its quite an amazing feeling to see land being divided in two countries and how its protected. I had the privilege to visit two such posts - Wagah and Ranian in Punjab - bordering Pakistan.

Rest

The gardener, resting during the making of this park in Lonavala, must be for sure thinking about the hundreds of people who will eventually come here to take a break and rest once it’s completed.

Life In A... Metro

I cant write anything about this picture in particular... just that I feel like saluting the survival spirt of these people who are an ideal example of community living even in the worst scenarios.

Accident Witnessed From The Car

Quite a sight. Could not resist myself from taking a snap. This is on Juhu-Tara Road, Mumbai.

Lake in the hills

Marvel of nature - a lake atop a hill. This is Matheran, a hill station located about 100 km from Mumbai. Matheran literally means jungle on top.

The Pond

This pond is inside the Botanical Gardens of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is serene and beautiful despite being in the heart of a bustling city; appropriate place to spend some time in solitude.

Swan-song

Melbourne is famous for its erratic weather changes. It is said that you can actually experience four seasons in one calendar day while in Melbourne. Well, the miraculous colors that you can see in the water and sky is not created. That’s how it was during one of the lucky evenings, when I was there.

The Magic Hour

This enchanting confluence of the sun and the land reminded me of an astounding verse written by the legendary Pt. Pradeep “Jagat bhar ki roshni ke liye, karodon ki zindagi ke liye, suraj re jalte rehna, suraj re jalte rehna…”

Writing in the skies

This was one of the most peculiar sights I have come across. I had to hurry myself to click this one, yet I missed the last word that faded out before I could click. The writing in smoke (which actually looks like cloud) read ‘Jesus loves you’. This was made by a jet which flew over Chapel Street in Melbourne.

The 'Firang' Nat

'Nat' in Hindi means a Trapeze Artiste. I was quite impressed finding a 'Nat' doing this acrobatic performance in Melbourne. Further in the show i found out that this artiste was not only an acrobat but a good mimic and stand-up comedian too. In fact this whole show that he presented could be easily a termed as 'street-play'.

Street-play in Australia

This is a continuation of the previous picture. This 'Nat' is seen performing a magic trick here as part of his complete act which lasted for about 30 minutes.

2 of the 12 Apostles on The Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles are icons of the Great Ocean Road. These giant rock stacks soar from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean. These Apostles were formed by erosion of the original coastline. The constant action of the sea on the limestone slowly wore down the rocky cliff, gradually leaving individual rocks.

The pyramid ceiling of Melbourne Botanical Garden's Museum

Isn’t this ceiling mystical? Well it better be. It took me 20 minutes of strenuous effort trying to get the angle right; I almost sprained my neck while constantly looking upwards.

Bridge to the skies

This is Bolte Bridge in Melbourne and this particular shot was taken while we were filming inside a bus for the spectacular Chak De! India. The elevation at one point in the bridge is quite astounding, almost like a pathway to the sky.

The Land of Kangaroos Today

This is just a postcard picture trying to capture the magnificence of development.

From The Car in Melbourne

I am in a car on the other side of the highway at a speed of approx 100 kmph and so is the car in the photograph. Yet the small 1 mega pixel lens of my cell phone, without any shutter control, could capture this image.

The Bombay Auto Rickshaw

Wikipedia says that the construction and characteristics of auto rickshaws make them an extremely unsafe class of vehicle but we Bombayites have been safely using this mode of transport for years. Spirit of Mumbai!

Film Stock

Many, who see films, would hardly know how this celluloid is processed or how does the raw stock that goes into making of the finished product called cinema looks like. For starters here is a can of a sound recording film. Sound is recorded on this negative and then processed along with the picture negative to make the final print. This print which is projected in cinemas is also called as ‘married print’ in film circles.

Theatre In The Nature

This is an auditorium of a school in Village Aawas, Taluka Alibag. What a scene it is – actors performing in an open stage and public viewing them in close quarters sitting on the mud ground. No need for air conditioning, chairs, gallery, sound system, lights or cafeteria. I had the privilege of performing here with kids of my street-theatre group. It was amazing experience. This picture that you see is of my group rehearsing a play.

The Dilapidated Pier

This is the Rewas Pier, the port that leads you to Alibag via the sea route. If you are in Bombay, do try visiting this place by the sea. It is fun. This pier was made in the early nineteen century by the British and is in a dilapidated state right now There is also another pier close to it which was rebuilt few years ago that bears the weight of numerous passengers every day and double every weekend (Alibag is very popular weekends get away for Bombayites). It is surrounded by huge mangroves.

Sunset at Bombay Harbour

I am in a boat traveling from Rewas in Alibag to Bombay at around 6 in the evening. The sun is about to set. I don’t know what more to write about this picture... sunset and sunrise has been clicked by so many that it will sound cliché no matter what I write. The only thing that I would like to mention is that you can see the Bombay High (India's biggest oil drilling centre) faintly in the background.

Crow-crow

"Mori atariya pe kaaga bole, mora jiya dole, koi aa raha hai...” folk tradition in India has this maxim on seeing a crow on the balcony or window of your house.

Pictured on a terrace facade of a school in Dhobitalao, Mumbai; you can see the cityscape in the far-bottom background.