Words and the Impressions They Leave

Rudyard Kipling once said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” When words come into the world—written or spoken—they begin to work their magic. They shape our views of history and culture. They affect our decisions, influence behaviour and evoke emotions. They ignite our imagination and provoke thoughts. There might have been times when you heard a piece of advice from someone or read a quote in a book, or perhaps, come across a heartwarming lyric that changed or altered your perception. And before you realise it, each word, each phrase, each stanza, gradually slips into your life and becomes a part of you.

Nupur Kulkarni, Janhavi Sharma, Raghav Pasricha, Ashima Raizada, Paroma Mukherjee, Binaifer Bharucha, Philippe Calia, Shaheen Peer, Soumya Sankar Bose, and Suresh Naganathan reflect on words that have left a lasting impression on them, and how it affected their photographic practice.

“There’s always a sunrise and always a sunset and it’s up to you to choose to be there for it,’ said my mother. ‘Put yourself in the way of beauty.” —Cheryl Strayed, from the book Wild

Nupur Kulkarni is a fine art photographer from Mumbai. She completed her BFA in Applied Arts from Rachana Sansad College of Applied Art and Craft, Mumbai, and has done a full-time, two-year course in photography from Shari Academy of Professional Photography and Digital Imaging, Mumbai. She was recently a part of a group exhibition called Resilience in Hyderabad. She currently freelances while also working on personal photo projects.