Mid-day 44th anniversary special: ‘This city has big industry names to make my dream a reality’

Kirti Narain moved to Mumbai in 2022 to pursue her dreams of being a professional industry visual artist. Pics/Nimesh Dave

I'm, not too used to being in front of the camera," Kirti Narain tells mid-day, with a laugh, after her photo shoot with us. "But I'm always incredibly comfortable behind it."

Since moving to Mumbai last year after earning a Master's degree in photography and electronic media in LA, Narain has made a name for herself in the City of Dreams. Her journey, however, has been far from easy. "I have always had a tendency for self-doubt," she tells us, "and when I moved here, nobody knew who I was. To make things worse, it was the monsoon, and so there was no scope for outdoor photoshoots." She explains that Mumbai's competitive nature continues to be intimidating, but admits that the city set her on the path to greater success. "In Mumbai, all you have to do is look out of the window, and you see people working extremely hard to succeed here. This is what drives me to achieve. To stay in this city, you work hard."

Although the 26-year-old found herself in uncharted territory when she moved to Mumbai, her experience with her craft spans almost a decade thus far. She began her career in her home city of New Delhi, aged 18. "In Delhi, I had the opportunity to work with artists like Raftaar, the rapper," she says, adding, "But in Delhi, I felt like a kid exploring my own abilities. It was when I moved to LA in 2019 that I really understood how this creative process works, end-to-end." While she was still a student in LA, Narain worked with filmmaker Michael Garcia who has directed music videos for artists like Jason Derulo, David Guetta and Jack Harlow. "When I worked with [Garcia], our photography made it to billboards on Times Square. Our work was plastered onto American buses." The Western influence on Narain's work is evident at first glance. Her recent shoot for musician Shai and Murtuza Gadiwala's ‘Maze Haze' and her shoot for Adidas featuring influencer Akruti Viras both experiment with psychedelic lighting, reminiscent of HBO's Euphoria. "Living in America taught me that my individuality was important," she tells us. "I found that, in the US, people would be supportive of me no matter what I chose to do, something which isn't always true in Mumbai. Here, social norms and expectations can get in the way."

Despite this, the Delhi-born visual artist says that her move to Mumbai fostered her creative growth. "I live alone in Mumbai. That experience has changed me, it's made me understand myself better. I have always wanted to be a multimedia artist. Since moving to Bombay, I've been able to achieve that. The industry in this city is thriving, and that has allowed me to take risks." Although she describes moving to Mumbai amid the barely waning chaos of the pandemic as "difficult," Narain has achieved some incredible milestones since relocating. "When I moved here in 2022, one of my first projects was with National Geographic on a series called ‘Postcards from Maharashtra.'" This show, which aired in December 2022, stars Sai Tamhankar, as she reconnects with the culture of Maharashtra. "It was such an incredible opportunity to learn more about the state that I had just moved to." Along with Tamhankar, Narain also worked with Madhuri Dixit on the project, an experience she describes as the best part of her year. "I was absolutely star-struck." She explains, "Bombay gave me the resources to do the work I wanted to do. This city has the creative collaborators and the big industry names to make my dream a reality."

"The most important thing I've gained here is mentorship," she says. "Over the past year, I've connected with mentors from all walks of life. It's shaping me into this person who has explored, not only the visual arts, but also marketing, branding, graphic design, and even music production." For the 26-year-old, support from the women in her life has been a guiding force amid the tumultuous atmosphere of the last few years. "I've done so much work with women, which empowers me to succeed in my field. Even if I get bouts of fear about all the change my life has undergone, the women I admire most are there to support me." A few of the female powerhouses that Narain has worked with include American-Indian rapper Raja Kumari, Niharika Nm for Rolling Stone India, and Meghana Kaur and Ruhee Dosani, whom she collaborated with on a recent H&M campaign. She tells us she is still learning to find complete comfort in Mumbai, but is confident it will all work out. "I seek out discomfort, it's good for you. If you aren't afraid to be uncomfortable every once in a while, you can discover new sides of yourself to embrace." She adds, "In time, I've found my groove in Mumbai, although there will always be new challenges. This is an evolving period, for both myself and my work."

Mumbai meri jaan?

Love about Mumbai People, livelihood and liberation

Hate about Mumbai The fast life. I'm from Delhi so I love the laid-back life.

Expectations from Mumbai That there are many opportunities to be had in this city.

Has Mumbai lived up to your expectations? It has, but sometimes I feel a little alone figuring it all out by myself in this City of Dreams.

Will it remain a forever home? I think I want to be a global citizen. I want to make my mark everywhere in the world, and Mumbai is going to be a stepping stone for me.