Life on Juhu Beach (A collection of photographs by Moulik Kotak)

When a lady from Chitralekha messaged me to say that Maulik Kotak, Chairman of Chitralekha Group, would like to send his coffee table book on photography (presumably for review), I was happy because I had not reviewed a photography book for quite a while.

- Rohinton Mehta

But when the book arrived, I was taken aback by the title. I said to myself “What can one photograph at the Juhu Beach, other than a few mundane subjects?”

Well, I was wrong. Very wrong!

The book is dedicated to Maulik’s family, especially his mother Madhuri and his son Manan, who encouraged him to publish this book. Approximately 11.5 x 9-inches in size, this photo-album has 95 pages of everyday moments, beautifully captured in the last 18 years! Maulik says the book “is a glimpse into dreams, aspirations, rituals and lives of millions of people from all walks of life.” The first photo, rightly so, is of our Elephant God, Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.