The city that never sleeps, Mumbai, is truly a place which harbours a million dreams. Every lane, every corner, every building has a different story to tell. Since ages, the city has been capturing the imagination of photographers, tourists, film directors, writers and artists and millions of people who pass by and make it their home.
Harshad Rajadhyaksha, an advertising executive working with Ogilvy and Mather clicked a series of photos which depicts life in Mumbai quite effectively.
Interestingly called ‘A Close Shave Called Mumbai’, Harshad calls this photo series an unplanned tribute to an unplanned city.
“I have been in love with my birthplace, Mumbai, since as long as I can remember. I also love travelling and later when I pursued my hobby of photography, I came back with interesting albums from various cities of India and the world. That’s when it hit me one day, that I hadn’t yet done justice to my own city through my camera. So I started this photo-exploration last November, in 2015. As an added element, in the first few pictures I also added captions that helped me express something insightful about the moment in the picture. That’s how this journey of ‘A close shave called Mumbai’ started,” Harshad told The Better India.
Here is a look at some pictures from his collection which will strike a chord with every Mumbaikar:
1. A Close Shave Called Mumbai
3. Sachin sells everything here
4. The sea adds salt to life
5. Flowers for sale, smiles for free
6. An encounter with the underworld
7. Romance playing in a backseat near you
8. Sundays show us what we once where
9. Our shiny new toys
10. For some it has always been Swachh Bharat
11. Chal Foot, Don’t Disturb!
12. Making a name for yourself seems so easy
13. Towers to speak to his God and his children
14. Angels become devils to make a living
15. We laugh until we learn that we are someone’s monkey
16. Sweet dreams are made of films
17. Fragile Dreams: Handle With Care
18. Old school wall post
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19. Fashion shoots start early
20. The man of the house is often not a man
21. Some don’t have a roof, some don’t want a roof
22. Local train habits die hard
23. The Sachin Factory
24. The one at Agra is cheaper to visit
25. Boyhoods made of Anda, Pav and Maska
26. Our homes have no space for dogs but our hearts do
27. Life long journeys have started in buses
28. Life exists because of that pole
29. Breaking our own records, everyday
30. Wake up early to catch the 7:03 Sleep
31. Our logo is made of stone
32. Only for the well trained
33. Rays of a new sun
34. The Grandpa of Malls
35. Vada Pav has us all
36. Luckily the BMC didn’t build the BMC building
“Back then I did not know how many pictures I would add, or how long this series would continue. But the sheer response this personal project has received from friends, strangers and well-wishers has encouraged me to keep looking for new moments, new stories, and to write relevant captions. Mumbai continues to be very generous with the material she provides me,” Harshad added.
You can view all the pictures of this photo series by visiting Harshad’s Facebook profile here
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