H&R Adventures in Bombay

I think I may have seen more of Bombay in the last few days than I saw in the three years that I lived there as a college student. I suppose that’s how it always goes. You barely appreciate/know the things that are right there under your very nose. It helped that the purpose of my being here these few days was to see and to show Ben as much as I could. We went to Bhuleshwar Market, Dhobi Ghat, Haji Ali, VT, Bhendi Bazaar, Worli Seaface, Marine Drive, Hanging Gardens, and everywhere in between we stopped for amazing food and many cups of chaii. We ate at some amazing local places like Café Noorani in Haji Ali (their Chicken Tikka Roll is to. die. for.), Bade Miyan in Colaba (amazing Kababs and Roomali Roti), Shalimar in Bhendi Bazaar (delicious Mutton Biriyani) and Sardar Pav Bhaji (the epitome of all Pav Bhaji). Ben also had the most amazing sweet paan at a little paan-wala in VT yesterday evening. It was pretty impressive, we counted how many different ingredients the paan-wala added and I think it was 16!!

I love Bombay. It is definitely my favourite city and I feel safe there in a way that I have not experienced anywhere else. Bombay lets you be, she puts no restrictions on your life, accepts you for who you are and never fails to remind you that there is so much more to life than you could even imagine. I know this may be a gross generalisation and I’m sure I could find people who would disagree with me, but that is how I see Bombay. Safe. Accepting. Challenging. Bounty.

Working with Ben was the best kind of work I could ask for. We came home exhausted, smelly and ready to pass out but we were out there, doing what we love to do and it made it more than worthwhile - come heat, come crowd. I could also not have asked for a better mentor, teacher and friend. Not only was I free to photograph for myself but also encouraged to attempt to make the best pictures I have ever made in my life! Not sure if I met that goal, but I am grateful for the support. Thanks, Ben :)

I also had the awesome blessing of being able to catch up with another three of my favourite people in the whole wide world!! Sharan, Sonu and Vini were all in SoBo the day we arrived from Pune. I knew I would meet up with Sonu at some point while I was in Bombay but the other two I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to meet later so I had to meet them that day if possible. We arrived from Pune later than expected though and things got delayed so it was getting unlikelier by the minute, but I kept praying the whole time that I would get to see them even for a few minutes and so we called back and forth and tried to coordinate something and then lo and behold, they were right there, in the taxi right behind our own!! It was so funny because the squeals of joy then commenced across our two taxis with Ben and Leah sitting in the back of mine! It was so good to see them. I met Sonu and Sharan after almost 2 years and it was like a breath of fresh air to just embrace them after so long - dear dear friends of mine. Even though Sharan had to leave almost immediately, I am so grateful that I got to see her. An answer to prayer!

So this trip has been one of many firsts, and one of great adventure. I can scarcely believe that I got to be a part of Horse and Rider in this way and I can’t help but look back and see how so many things that have happened in the past - especially in the last three months of my life made this possible. Ben and I were chatting over dinner one night about how amazing it is when you look back and see how God sometimes accomplishes so many things in one fell swoop. Through one incident he will bless someone, humble someone, free someone, teach someone, redeem a situation, make a seemingly impossible event possible, etc. Well, sometimes it feels like all those ‘someone’s are me. Through one incident, he will achieve all these things in my life and I can scarcely help but be changed, renewed, blessed…

Sharan, Sonu, Vini and Tina in the same frame! Can you believe it? I barely can.

VT by night

Ben experimenting with slow shutter speed at Marine Drive. Isn't that pretty neat?

At Bhuleshwar Market

Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

Leah hailing a cab for us at Bhuleshwar Market

Peak hour madness in Andheri Station

Dhobi Ghat

Rob and Ben relaxing at Marine Drive after a delicious dinner at Bade Miyan in Colaba

Little boy flying his kite rather skillfully from the window of his house in Bhendi Bazaar

Ben set up another time lapse at this crazy junction at Bhendi Bazaar. It was pretty awesome how the scene changed every second! The noise level was also pretty phenomenal!

We climbed down these treacherous tetra-pods to get to the rock face. It was pretty scary but "all for the sake of 'cinema'" :P

Couple at Worli Seaface.

I crack up every time I see this picture. Ben set up the shot, and he was counting to three with his fingers and when he got to two, they must have thought he wanted them to do the peace sign! Ha!

Time lapse at VT by sunset. I was sitting by the camera with an injured foot. People must have thought I was nuts but it was time well-spent. Watching the lights change over VT is a magnificent sight indeed!