The photograph is part of Sunhil Sippy’s long and deeply personal visual love letter to the city of Mumbai. It evokes a city hidden in plain sight, seen yet overlooked stills of the unromantic, gritty elements. Monochromatic and filled with varied emotions, the work is anchored during the monsoon season and one of the most soulful celebrations: Ganesh Chaturthi. Bringing out the core values of the city—vibrancy, spirituality and communal rituals—the work showcases an urban community’s festivities and how people wake the life of the city. 

The festival marks an acceptance of impermanence, which perhaps is conveyed through the photograph as well. The central focus is on citizens smiling ear to ear, dressed up and embracing the grandeur, whereas on the sidelines stand more quiet onlookers, in a reflective mood. Looking out from the bus, those travelling watch the buzzing crowd, a marked shift of atmosphere, as they pass by. Street photography brings out an honesty characterised by certain amounts of uncertainty and unpredictability—a mixture of noise and silence, of clashing emotions.