Strike up a conversation with Mukesh Parpiani about the riot-torn Mumbai of 1993, Muhammad Ali’s famed visit to the city in 1980, or the moment Padmini Kolhapure greeted Prince Charles’ with a stolen peck on the cheek during his visit to India. The veteran photojournalist will let out a reminiscent chuckle followed by a detailed anecdote of how he captured the essence of these historic moments through his camera. Celebrating five decades of photojournalism and curating more than 250 exhibitions at the National Centre for Performing Arts’ Dilip Piramal Art Gallery as a curator, Parpiani brings a solo exhibition today at Jehangir Art Gallery; his first-ever at the venue.

Boxing champ Muhammad Ali during his visit to Mumbai in 1980