That the documentarian Shaunak Sen is drawn to philosophers of the street—if not using them as proxies for his own thoughts—becomes clear in his debut, Cities of Sleep (2015), set among homeless, in lowest decks of Delhi.

In it, Ranjit, who accommodates people looking to sleep at night, under a bridge, quips, “Azaad wahi hai jo apni marzi se soye, ya jaage (Those who sleep and wake up, as per their wish, are in essence truly free)!”