This late night, while driving a customer from one part of Delhi to another, citizen Sunil talks of his journey from being a photographer to an auto rickshaw driver.
On his passion for photography
“Years ago, when I was a student at Delhi University’s Dyal Singh College, I used to travel a lot. I would go to places like Nainital, Rishikesh and Haridwar, and observe the beauty of the hillsides and rivers. I would want to retain those scenes in some tangible form. So I bought one of those small cameras, which used to be widely available during the time. I started taking photos with that camera. Gradually, my passion for photography grew more intense. I purchased a bigger camera. I eventually became a professional photographer, and started receiving assignments to cover weddings. During this journey of converting my passion into profession, I also built a photography setup, complete with a video camera.”
On his weakening relationship with photography
“The photography faded slowly from my life, after my wife, Annu, was diagnosed with breast cancer. We both then had a heart-to-heart talk, and made a pact: no matter how things might unfold, we would undergo this difficult trial hastein-hastein (smilingly). We hoped that the situation would improve. It did not. The cancer became metastatic, it spread to her entire body. We first had the treatment in a Delhi State Cancer Institute in GTB Enclave, and then in another cancer hospital in Paschim Vihar. I could not work during that period. I was spending almost all my time looking after my wife.”
On the fate of his cameras
“After Annu’s death on November 24, 2024, five years after her diagnosis, I lost interest in life. At the same time, I also fully realised that this was zindagi meeting me in all its colours. Even so, picking up the camera was out of question. The very thought of photography reminded me of the hospital days. Since I still had to make a living, I took up auto driving. Now, during the day, I’m on the road, and the mind remains busy with things of the moment. Sometimes customers make conversations, which keeps me far from sad thoughts. But at the end of each day, after my dinner at the dhaba, when I return to my room in Shahdara, I find myself alone in the bed. My thoughts then again return to Annu, on how happy our joint life used to be. I would think of the things she would talk to me about, her exact sentences would come back to me one by one… at some point in the night, my eyes would shut automatically. One day, I went to the camera market in Chandni Chowk, and sold my cameras, including my Canon Mark II.”