Facespotting All Over India

A Hyderabadi lady carries a pot called "matka" which carried water for drinking. Golconda Fort, Andhra Pradesh.

AMONG my favorite preoccupation during travels is just sitting in a corner, watching people walk by. But in India, this wasn't a very easy endeavor. A foreigner is always a point of interest among the locals - although nothing will beat the Bangladeshis in terms of boundless unabashed curiosity. Until recently, photographing people hasn't been a favorite pastime. But there are obvious rewards! People render kinetic energy to a stationary tableaux. And capturing the different expressions on photo is priceless.

School children waiting for instructions from their teachers. Agra Fort, Agra.

Black shroud riding. Charminar area, Hyderabad.

Reservoir Dog Millionaire? Hahaha! City of Mumbai, Maharashtra, central India.

Ride with me? Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Impeccable whites! Oooh, that's gonna get soiled! Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

Salaamalaikum... Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

Gosh! I had goosebumps seeing these women all draped in black (these gowns are called BURQAH) at the Charminar area. It was a sea of blacks, which just a slit for the eyes. You would think you're in the heart of the Taliban country of Afghanistan. Hyderabad.

Rest your weary feet. Chennai, Tamil Nadu, southeast India.

Congratulations to the cast and makers of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire for winning the most number of Oscars at the recent 81st Academy awards. Though the movie has faults, nothing can beat its theme of hope and love amidst the squalor and these days, we need more films that can lift the spirit. I was just a little disappointed why in all the Oscars that it won (8, i think), actors Dev Patel and Freida Pinto were not actually mentioned by any of the winners. They were just part of the "talented cast". Without the perfect casting of these two, Patel especially, the movie wouldn't have completely worked! After all, there are limits to the situational probability of explaining ones answers through the chronological retelling of ones life story. But hey, all the pieces fit almost perfectly. Congratulations again! (currently playing A.R. Rahman's Om Saya and Jai Ho as I write this.) If you haven't seen it yet, Boy! You're missing out on great cinema!

This is the Eye in the Sky.