I met Sudhanva for the first time when we were being briefed about the project on Janam. Gradually over the course of the following 3 months, these meetings got more frequent despite tight individual schedules. I remember him saying one day that he was on his way back from a shoot.

After the project concluded on the 1st of January 2023, these visits to Mayday also slowed down and running into Janam or Sudhanva became an exciting rarity.

Fast forward to a year or so later, I saw him again. This time although I couldn’t walk up and greet him.

Head of State, Jawan (2023)

Janam celebrates Shahadat Diwas on the 1st of January every year, and it’s thrilling to see hundreds show up in the cold to attend. The Head of State was there too, seeing through the assembly of banners across Ambedkar Park. This was my second time here.

While the banners were being unloaded, Sudhanva and I had a small conversation about this book he had been working on for a while. It was about Orijit Sen and his body of work.