Debre Damo, Ethiopia
Reaching the top of this sixth century monastery is something like a ‘parikrama’. It is a 75-feet climb up a rope. “You are secured to another rope tied around your waist and held by a man at the summit. He won’t let you fall, but he is not going to help you either,” recounts Chaturvedi, continuing, “and that’s the first thing I saw when you reach the top — that tree and the monk.”

Cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi’s Madh Island residence is home to an enviable collection of comics and our conversation begins with American cartoonist Will Eisner’s graphic novel, A Contract with God. It is a fitting start to the subject of Chaturvedi’s upcoming talk. On November 13, the cinematographer -- best known for his work in films such as Maqbool and Kurbaan -- will take us through a visual narrative of faith at a talk hosted by Junoon’s Mumbai Local at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla.