Bharat Katha Vol. I — First Archive Edition
 
An India photography book and ethnographic film archive documenting a decade of human encounters across India.
 
First Archive Edition — An ethnographic monograph integrating photography, film and sound. Limited to 1000 copies from the founding decade of the Bharat Katha project.
 
This volume marks the first physical archive of a decade-long independent ethnographic journey across India. Through intimate documentary photography, 27 films, and original music composed, some from field recordings, the book documents human encounters across villages, towns, and cultural landscapes rarely seen in conventional photography books about India.
 
The book is connected to a living archive of films and stories accessible through QR codes within the book.
 
Vol. I establishes the foundation of the Bharat Katha archive and inaugurates a continuing series documenting the evolving journey of the project.
 
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Praise for the Book
 
“Nitin — the book is beautiful!
The photo reproduction, the photos themselves, the stories — I love it.”
 
— Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
 
“What immediately strikes one in these gorgeous pictures is how Nitin has gained his subjects’ trust, making the portraits in this book honest, fascinating, and immensely likeable.
 
For many years, Nitin has wandered India with his camera, recording sympathetic and philosophical interviews with people he comes across in all their variety. To these video interviews is now added this lovely book of portraits — a visual diary of Nitin’s wanderings.
 
To enter the book is to travel with him.”
 
— Dictynna Hood
Writer/Director — Us Among the Stones, Wreckers
 
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About the Edition
 
Celebrating the decade milestone since the founding of the Bharat Katha project, Lilian Baylis Publications, London and Bharat Katha present an immersive book integrating photography, films and music.
 
A magnificent piece of artisanship from Nitin Krishen, this beautifully designed volume captures the essence of people in intimate, everyday moments.
 
These portraits are connected to 27 motion pictures and original music, creating a multidimensional archive that commemorates the timeless spirit of India’s diverse cultural landscapes.
 
Each page of this luxurious First Archive Edition is printed on silk paper using premium ink pigments and traditional printing techniques that bring out extraordinary depth and colour.
 
The book is bound in satin cloth with gold foil lettering, designed for archival longevity.
 
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The Living Archive
 
The 27 films — including six upcoming and exclusive works — reveal new perspectives on the people and places encountered during the Bharat Katha journey.
 
The films can be accessed by scanning the QR codes printed on the vintage cinema-style tickets collected at the end of the book. Each ticket opens a film from the Bharat Katha archive.
 
Subtitles are currently available in: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
with more languages to follow.
 
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Access to the Bharat Katha Book Club
 
Each copy includes admission to the Bharat Katha Book Club, providing access to an evolving collection of exclusive films, music and behind-the-scenes stories.
 
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Cultural Contribution
 
10% of profits from this edition are donated to charity.
 
By acquiring this book you are helping preserve living cultural memory and supporting the development of an independent long-term cultural archive for future generations.