“Ten years in advertising photography was enough to dissolve a very carefully constructed image of myself as a photographer. I felt disillusioned and disconnected from the photographic process. I felt that if I had to take my camera out again, it had to go beyond just arranging and capturing elements through the viewfinder of my camera. I found myself spending time on the streets of Chennai, in an effort to engage with the ordinary, to discover the bustling magic of everyday life. I would actively seek out situations and people that would help me resolve this conflict in myself. The first thing that hit me when I ventured out was that the people I interacted with on the streets were way happier than i was, with what little most of them had. This led me to explore my own definition of happiness. I found that images existed somewhere in between conversations and concern. Images that would stay hidden but for that interaction.
I was in Bhopal a year back, walking the streets, probably looking a little haggard after a long day out, when I came across this handsome looking cop. Before I could ask him if I could take his picture, he asked me where I was from. When I said I was from Chennai, he got really excited( he had recently watched Chennai Express) and offered to buy me a cup of tea. He refused to take money for the cup of tea, saying "aap tho hamare mehmaan hain, aapse kaise paisa lenge" (You are our guest, how can I let you pay) It is interactions like this that keep me on the smiling on the street. I hope that over time my work will translate into a living document that provides a socio-cultural commentary of Chennai and the times we live in”.