A Way Into India

Raghubir Singh (1942-99) was one of the twentieth century's finest documentary photographers. Born in Rajasthan, India, he won an international reputation, publishing over a dozen books, all on various aspects of his homeland. A Way Into India was his last great photographic project and is a testament to his love affair with the sights, sounds and colours of India, but also with one of its most unexpected icons - the Ambassador car. Continuously in production in India since 1957, the Ambassador is everywhere to be seen, in all possible guises - from delivery van to diplomatic limousine - and has become quintessentially Indian. Travelling back and forth across the country, Singh reveals India through the windows of the Ambassador. Temples and tourists, monsoon rains, paddy fields, tea plantations and elephants are dramatically framed by the Ambassador's distinctive curves. The old and the new sit side by side, as Singh and the Ambassador show us a way into India.