52 WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT; JULY

Four Frames, Four Realities: The Odds & Ends of Real Stories

From James Bond to escaping a mugging in Brussels, every picture hides an unforgettable truth

Chandpole Bridge and Ghats on Lake Pichola, Udaipur. Photo by Author

On the Waterfront — like the movie

The scene is of the iconic Daiji Bridge (Chandpole Bridge) across the width of the waters of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Rajasthan. You can see the illuminated ghats (steps leading to the water) of the royal city.

Lake Pichola and Udaipur gained massive international fame when it served as a primary filming site for the James Bond film starring Roger Moore. The luxury hotel right out on the water (Taj Lake Palace) served as the floating palace of the character Octopussy.

The waterfront serves as a character that interacts with everyone who lands on it. I was amazed by the vibrancy of the place in the evenings, when the entire neighbourhood sprang to life on the ghats, relishing the beautiful weather and the calm, serene atmosphere surrounding the lake.

Oberoi Cecil, Shimla. Photo by Author.

Odds and Ends

The Titanic-like grand multi-tier atrium is from the historic Oberoi Cecil, Shimla. ​The hotel holds a legendary status in global hospitality because it is where Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi (the founder of the Oberoi Group) commenced his career.

​In the early 1920s, a young, penniless M.S. Oberoi fled a plague epidemic in Punjab and made his way to Shimla looking for a way out of his predicament. He managed to secure a job at The Cecil as a front desk clerk at a meagre salary of ₹50 a month.

But instead of being just another story of hardship, he turned his odds around by working hard to climb higher in life. He successfully acquired the controlling interest in the British company that owned major luxury properties in India to become the first Indian to own and run the country’s largest luxury hotel chain, making the very property where he started as a clerk his crown jewel.

He made sure that his story ended really well.

A Storm is Brewing! Photo by Author

Going Under

The afternoon sky turned monochrome within seconds, cutting off the bright sun and pulling us under a massive and heavy, churning blanket of asperitas clouds interwoven with dense stratus and low-hanging rain clouds. The dramatic, undulating texture reminded me of the rough surface of a stormy sea viewed from under water.

The claustrophobic scene is from a location in Kashmir along the India-POK Line of Control. It looked like one of those moments when nature reflects the reality of human-induced turmoil around us.

What followed the above scene was a heavy thunderstorm and a lashing of lightning that struck the guardroom next to our temporary fibre shelter. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The power supply, however, went kaput for the next two days!

Rue Des Capucins, Bruxelles, Belgium. Photo by Author

Look What I Found

​I find murals intriguing. I have traced murals across many cities. This one is from Brussels, Belgium. I almost became a victim of mugging after capturing this scene. Although I escaped the situation with some quick thinking, I found it ironic that the entire scene unfolded in front of the iconic Palais de Justice!

The artists who drew the above painting seamlessly blend the comic scene with the white and grey architecture of the Rue des Capucins.

The mural depicts a scene from The Exploits of Odilon Verjus, a Franco-Belgian humorous adventure comic book, where Father Odilon Verjus is lending a hand to assist the woman in the white dress, who is a stylised depiction of the real-life legendary American-born French dancer, singer, and civil rights activist *Joséphine Baker as she climbs down a steep brick wall with her pet cheetah (yes, she really had a pet cheetah named Chiquita whom she walked on a diamond-encrusted leash!).*

Josephine Baker was a revolutionary figure and fierce activist linked to the Harlem Renaissance movement. About her arrival in Paris, she said,

“One day, I realised that I lived in a country where I was afraid of being Black. It was a country reserved for whites. There was no place for blacks. I was suffocating in the United States. Many of us left, not because we wanted to, but because we couldn’t take it anymore… I felt liberated in Paris.”

Red Bull cannot give me wings! Your support, however, can… If you liked my stories, then you can help me sprout some wings and cheer me by reading more here :). Thank you for reading.

Heartfelt gratitude to the editors who manage this beautiful publication —

Rodrigo S-C, Lauri Novak, and kasey sparks

[embed]The 2026 52-Week Photography Project List Ready. Set, GO!medium.com