Under The Skin

Lina Vincent Sunish

“To Mumbai: my home, my muse… “ is the dedication, and Husain
begins his essay with an all encompassing comment that explains the
book, “When one talks about a journey, one usually refers to starting out
from one place and reaching another. My journey has been different. In
the last 25 years I have made a journey that started and continues to be
in the same place. While I have held steadfast to who I am, the place has
changed. I was born in Bombay and today I live in Mumbai – and it is not
just the name. It is a city whose map is linked to the map of my life. And
so it is inevitable that my first picture book draws its title from this city.”
Muse it certainly has been, as is apparent in the myriad images of
the city; he has documented its ticking clock – morning, evening, night,
Mid-day – the city that never sleeps seems to have conspired with him
to share all its secrets. There are recognisable images of politicians,
sportsmen and cine-stars, sharing space with daily wagers and other
representatives of humanity who live an anonymous existence in the great
bustling cosmopolitan and make it tick. The character of the city, like a
protagonist, becomes clearer as one turns pages. It is largely an objective
view, a compilation that has been systematically edited to contain a cross
section of people and their relationships with the city, with culture,
religion, economy and politics in the background.