Calcutta, in monochromatic tones

An ongoing photography exhibition, ‘Calcutta –Walking in the city’ by Ananth Padmanbhan, held at IHC till November 10 is showcasing 30 black and white photographs shot inside a printing press in Kolkata.

This show is a journey in time. Publishing in India came of age in the late 80s and Calcutta, which has always played a very crucial part in India’s literary history. Anand had first visited the press in ’98, for Penguin and this is where Penguin had begun their publishing life and this year they celebrate their 25th anniversary. So, according to Anand, he made a trip again to relive those first few years and as a photographer capture what analog publishing meant.

Talking about his association with Calcutta, Anand shares, “There are some cities that we occupy and there are some cities that occupy us, like Calcutta. From the very first time that I set foot in ’98, Calcutta has fascinated me. It has always felt like being in love with a beautiful older woman, who is stubborn and never willing to change and yet every time I go there she reminds me why I fell in love.”

Ananth is a self-taught photographer who has worked in the publishing industry for over 20 years and has a deep rooted love for the written word. He discovered a passion for photography in his early 30s and has worked on various projects since then. Born in Madras in 1975, he now lives in Gurgaon, with his wife, a Labrador and two Boxers.

Calcutta, walking in the City is at once both a personal journey and a tribute, as a photographer, to the many years spent in publishing.