“A poet may write a poem, a painter may paint. Film is the medium I understand, so I respond through cinema,” said filmmaker Purandar Chaudhuri. Three films — Dhushor (2023), Tremors (2025), and Impressions of Mingling (2026)— centred on themes of migration, travel, ageing, and survival, are his responses to the human condition.
‘A Voyage to Permanence’, a multidisciplinary exhibition, featuring screenings of the three films alongside alternative photographic prints of stills, opened at the Visual Arts Gallery of India Habitat Centre on Wednesday. Curated by art historian and critic Johny ML and presented by gallerist and art consultant Jooby Yohannan, the exhibition wrapped up yesterday.
Chaudhuri is a self-taught filmmaker. He currently works with Cafe Coffee Day in a senior managerial position and has been associated with the brand for nearly three decades as part of its founding team.
The ordeals
The exhibition opened with stills from Impressions of Mingling, evoking stories of migration and survival away from one’s homeland. Most of the photographs are selenium-toned kallitype prints on paper, lending them the appearance of vintage photographs. The series was shot across three cities — Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
Migrant labourers are seen carrying heavy loads and moving through the city’s narrow, dingy lanes; tangled electrical wires hanging from ageing buildings, and cramped workspaces are also noticeable. Images of brief moments of rest amid long working hours of low-wage urban labour are equally stirring. Rather than dramatic scenes, the photographs focus on everyday moments from workers’ lives. The film, meanwhile, weaves in these photographs with video.
Chaudhuri said he “makes films that are like memory catchers—you need a different sensibility to see and feel memories.”
Each of the three films represent a distinct journey. Dhushor, shot mostly in Varanasi and Lucknow, takes inspiration from the Bengali novel Aparajito by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, and the character Apu, famously adapted by filmmaker Satyajit Ray; young Apu is a restless traveller searching for meaning of life. “A lot of my inspiration about life comes from that particular book and shaped the philosophical tone of the film,” the filmmaker said.
The film revolves around a solitary traveller wandering through the ghats of Varanasi and the ruins of old forts; these places speak of a connection between the individual and the universe. ‘Dhushor’, in Bengali, means ‘grey’ — “something which is colourless”. Interestingly, much of the film is shot in black and white. Chaudhuri explained: “The moment you start seeing things in black and white, it gives a very different meaning to what you see. You are not distracted by colour — you go straight into the subject.” The stark monochrome palette, he adds, also enhances the depth of the character, with a vivid display of light and shadow.
Of a frail mind and body
Tremors was personal for Chaudhuri; the film focuses on the crisis of an elderly man in his 80s whom he knew. He suffered from the early stages of dementia and other health complications.
Despite a frail body and mind, he remains caught in a constant struggle to connect the past with the present — and perhaps even the future. The film focuses on his daily routine — him sitting with a cup of coffee deep into contemplation; taking an equally introspective strolls, and again halting by the staircase — lost in his thoughts.
“He feels and touches everything from his past but they seem to slip away from him like his failing memory, which is metaphorically suggested by the toppling of the coffee mug by his accidental touch”, curator Johny ML’s note at the exhibition reads.
Cinematic influences
Cinema had always been a passion for Chaudhuri. His interest in films was sparked off at the age of 17 while living in Calcutta, when he watched the classics of filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. “Those were my learning days,” he remarks, adding that although filmmaking was always in the back of his mind, he finally began making films about seven years ago.
According to him, the corporate job helps him sustain his passion because his films are not commercial in nature. “You can’t have everything you want, but learning to manage both worlds keeps me going,” he said.
As the conversation comes to a close, Chaudhuri said he has always admired artists who constantly push the boundaries of their craft. “It is not easy — like all artists, sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. But it is very important to stay on that path, because experimentation is the only way any form of art can truly move forward.”
(Dhushor is currently available for rent on BookMyShow)