I was always creative and used to paint and sketch even as a child. Though I didn’t take up art in college, I studied advertising and photography.

In 1999 my friend, the writer Alka Saraogi, asked me to do the cover photograph for KaliKatha: Via Bypass, that won the Sahitya Akademi Award in the fiction category. This was my first professional assignment and made me decide to take up photography seriously.

In 2001, I participated in Exhibit A, the annual exhibition organised by the Photographer’s Guild of India. I sent four pictures from my still life series, Life of Its Own, shot across Calcutta. I was one of the 10 photographers whose works were put up for sale. My confidence grew after this achievement. Getting noticed also translated into better opportunities coming my way. In 2005, the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in India offered me a month-long residency in Paris. My series, On the Streets of Paris, was subsequently showcased in 10 Indian cities. It was a different way to experience a vibrant city.

But the fruition of my work till that point, so to speak, came in early-2007 with the release of my book, Calcutta: Repossessing the City. It was one of the most fulfiling moments of my career.

Throughout this journey, some projects have been extra special. For instance, in 2008 I did a photo-installation titled Spaces No Faces for the NGO Apne Aap Worldwide that focused on human trafficking. And in January this year I collaborated with curator and art aficionado Shaheen Merali on an audio-visual show in Delhi. It was a commentary on human trafficking and life in red light areas. Now I’m looking forward to an exhibition at Azad Art Gallery in Tehran. Iranian art is very reflective of life and I’m happy to be a part of this show.

(As told to Amrita Mukherjee)