Kolkata

By Anant Saraf

When I describe Kolkata to my friends in the U.S., I often say: "Kolkata is one of the few places in the world where, if you ask a shopkeeper to sell you something at 3 in the afternoon, he will tell you to f*** off because he wants to nap." Growing up in one of these few places with such different values has profoundly shaped both my identity and my artistic practice.

Years of photographing Kolkata have revealed a recurring theme in my work—the city's stray animals, or what I affectionately refer to as the "urban wild." From stray dogs being fed by abandoned religious idols, to the majestic horses left to starve on the maidan and the immensely joyful cats at Chetla, these moments capture the unique relationship between the city and its non-human inhabitants.

These photographs are a testament to the city's indelible imprint on my heart and memory—a collection that I will always hold dear. They are as much about my own childhood and adolescence as they are about the city.

Kolkata

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