Preserving the Voices of Culture: In Conversation With Pubarun Basu, Photographer & Storyteller!

For Pubarun, the story of his life is intimately connected to photography—a medium that has transcended mere hobby to become his lens through which he navigates and reflects on the world. His journey began not with formal lessons or guidance, but through sheer observation and a deep, almost spiritual connection to the craft, passed down from his father, an accomplished photographer.

"I was just a toddler when my father laid his photographic tools on my childhood bed. for me to play around with. I was just a toddler, and these were instruments beyond my comprehension." Pubarun recalls.

Yet, he happened to run his fair share of experiments with the cameras, and soon it became a familiar toy in his hand.

"They were foreign objects to me at the time, but I couldn't help myself—playing with those cameras was an irresistible urge. It was never about learning the technicalities from my dad; instead, I imitated every one of his movements around the studio, and the knowledge came down to me through quite a cathartic way. I don't joke when I say that my childhood bedroom was literally connected to a darkroom.

Was there a defining moment or experience that made you realise that photography was your calling?

I remember scoring through a folk festival in Shantiniketan - the place that Rabindranath Tagore honed as his own home and hearth of education. With a Canon 300D hanging around the neck of the 4-year-old me, I went around capturing all things fascinating to me.

I faintly remember this one gentleman coming up to me and asking, “Young man, are you even capturing photos?”

That's probably the first time I used the display button in my camera to show him all the photographs that I had taken, and in that process, realised how incredible a feeling it was to have materialised a moment in time and treat it as my own.

How has your perspective on photography evolved since you first picked up a camera? Which device is your most prized?

What began as a fun, experimental play with photography soon turned into an introspective documentation of the world around. And over time, photographing people from all over the country, I realised that the very act of picking up a camera and pointing it towards a subject puts you in a position of power; you dictate your reality through the exclusionary act of framing the scene.

And thus, I oriented my approach towards documentary photography to a more slow, reflective practice following my own ethics of attention. 

It would be a lie to say I don't have a favourite gadget. I have 3 cameras, but none of my own.

Among the many stories Pubarun has captured, the most treasured moment remains his first commissioned documentary project in Meghalaya, covering the Wangala festival. The Garo tribe, dressed in vibrant attire, gathered in reverence of their sun god, Saljong, as the air buzzed with the rhythm of a hundred drums.

My first camera, a Nikon D800E, was passed down to me from my father. I happened to win my Sony A7III as an award from the World Photography Organisation. And my latest, a Leica Q2, was gifted to me by my elder brother, Vasant Nath, a director and filmmaker par excellence. Every one of these instruments is special to me. 

"It was an experience that felt like standing inside the heartbeat of nature," he reflects. "The sound, the energy, the people—it was life itself in motion, and I was honoured to be there, documenting it."

Wangala Festival Garo Tribes

Your work often highlights the coexistence of people and their environments. What are some of the most memorable communities and places you've captured?

I have thus far covered about 15 communities across the diverse terrain of India, and I remember each of these experiences fondly.

To pick out one, I can think of my time in rural Maharashtra covering the Warkaris’ spiritual journey to Pandharpur. It was one of those times I had been awake for 36 hours straight to get some work done. I was mesmerised by the agrarian community’s synergy with the forces of monsoon.

Pandharpur Wari

Their practices blended in beautifully with the smell of the wet, monsoon soil. The women, temporarily liberated from their household status, danced with the rhythm of the rain. I could only watch and admire.

Can you tell us about a project that was particularly challenging yet rewarding?

For example, The River and Its People—what inspired it, and what was your biggest takeaway from working on it?

The river has been my first source of photographic inspiration, a driving force behind my documentary approach. What started as an anecdotal documentary growing up by the river soon turned into a socio-political study on the Anthropocene of the Ganga.

Away from the comfort of my home, while I explored the flood-stricken borderlands of India and Bangladesh, I realised how the same river worshipped by millions had turned into an antagonist in the story of the environmental refugees, shifting across geopolitical borders in the face of climate change.

My biggest takeaway from my ever-evolving relationship with the river has been to indulge myself in the pursuit of truth that goes beyond what the surface reality holds.

Among Pubarun’s many accolades, one of the most cherished achievements came during the global lockdown.

He created a powerful, staged image of two hands trying to break through the feeling of entrapment—an image that he felt resonated deeply with people everywhere. That's what led him to submit the image to the Sony World Photography Awards.

"To my utter delight, it led me to become the first Indian to win the Youth award in the 14-year history of the competition. My story, along with the photograph, of course, began to be featured in media outlets across India and the world. What made it even better was the numerous young people reaching out to me to discuss their budding area of passion."

Pubarun's Award-winning shot

In terms of the creative process, Pubarun takes a unique approach to capturing a subject's essence. It’s not just about technical settings or composition, but about understanding the story.

"When I’m on the field, I first seek someone’s gaze, a moment of connection. Only when I feel the moment is right do I lift my camera. Consent in photography, especially in India, is complex—it’s about understanding the layers of privacy in public spaces."

Have you noticed any emerging trends in photography that excite or concern you?

There has been a trend lately, with the popularisation of photography and information, of creators visiting major festivals to get “clout-worthy shots” for their socials.

Some of them are hasty in their methods and would cause damage or alter the natural flow of things to get their shots. It is an interesting phenomenon, to say the least.

I recently visited Mahakumbh, and the number of people taking photos of the festival made me wonder - what would the archive of the future look like? Imagine the previous Mahakumbh, 144 years back, when photography was yet to be popularised within the Indian subcontinent. We might have just one perspective of it from the rare images we dig up. And that becomes our sole point of representation for that period in time. Now, a 100 years down the line, the next generation would be exposed to millions of images of the same subject, and a central, defining narrative would be a hard nut to crack.

A Khasi Shepherd

For aspiring photographers looking to use their lens to tell meaningful stories, Pubarun’s advice is simple but profound: 

"Put the camera down for a moment. Not everything you see needs to be captured. Photography is an art—it’s about reflection, patience, and understanding the process rather than rushing for the product. As Vik Muniz once said, treat photographs as processes, not products. That’s where your story as a photographer truly begins."

Pubarun’s journey is a testament to the quiet power of documentary photography—an art that not only captures the world as it is but also challenges us to see it differently.

Pubarun Basu, is a photographer and a literature scholar, using his work to promote social inclusion and environmental conservation.

He is the first Indian to win the Youth Award at the Sony World Photography Awards & get featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30.

His powerful images have appeared in publications like The Guardian, BBC, and CNN. Currently, he’s working on a freshwater conservation project in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy.