LAST DAYS OF MANMOHAN

As a direct fallout of events since 2010, the whole of India was galvanised to come out and vote in record numbers in the 2014 general elections. Those were the most significant general elections since 1951, '65, '71, '77, '84, '99, or '04. (Depends, really.)

With so much at stake, it came to a point where it became impossible to trust what was being said or shown in the highly-compromised news media. Journalists and their employers were widely believed to be flexible with the truth and working for political parties, overtly or covertly. That's when I decided to pack my bags and set off on a political sightseeing trip across the country. (March 2014)

In my new stint as a political photographer from a fictitious magazine, I bluffed my way into election campaigns, brushed shoulders with those loveable bastards—our politicians—in their moments of vulnerability, and documented the political landscape during those mad times.

I have cultivated a fascination for large and complex systems, societies, and institutions. By the sheer dint of staying power (a.k.a. the long-term project), I gain deeper understanding of such environments and discover hidden narratives within it. In that sense, this project is both a personal, heartfelt response to the charged-up political scenario in India as well as a continuation of my broader study of Indian contemporary society.

The momentum generated during these recent national elections will continue well into the next year in a series of regional elections to come. I want to continue working within the tempestuous domain of Indian politics to get a sense of the political class and their relationship with the people.