'No Refusal': Ananth Padmanabhan's photo exhibition celebrates Kolkata's iconic yellow taxis

Bright yellow taxis, long synonymous with Kolkata's streets, have found a new canvas in New Delhi.

'No Refusal', a solo photography exhibition by writer, photographer and HarperCollins India CEO Ananth Padmanabhan, opened at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre. Running until February 10, the exhibition brings together photographs taken over 25 years, documenting Kolkata's changing streetscape through its iconic taxis.

The photographs capture the cabs against Kolkata's bustling alleyways, residential neighbourhoods and historic landmarks. They range from taxis parked after long shifts to abandoned vehicles slowly falling into disrepair.

One series features yellow cabs caught in heavy monsoon showers, while another traces their gradual transition from the traditional yellow to white. Among the notable frames is one showing a taxi passing white statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Bangladesh's Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a shot Padmanabhan waited hours to capture.

Originally from Tamil Nadu, Padmanabhan's fascination with Kolkata began in 1998 when he arrived at Howrah Station from Delhi aboard the Rajdhani Express. Drawn to the city's chaotic charm, he developed a particular interest in its yellow taxis and began documenting them through photography.

His earlier works include a 2010 photography project on Ladakh and the 2012 exhibition and photobook 'Calcutta – Walking in the City'. He is also the author of the novel 'Play with Me'.

The exhibition's title draws from the West Bengal government's mandate requiring taxis to display 'No Refusal', indicating that drivers should not turn away passengers. It also celebrates the legacy of the Ambassador, which began rolling out of the Hindustan Motors plant in Kolkata in 1958. Initially painted black and yellow, the cars became synonymous with the city in their distinctive solid-yellow avatar by the mid-1990s.

With production discontinued in 2014, the iconic taxis have gradually disappeared from Kolkata's roads. The idea for the exhibition took shape following a conversation Padmanabhan had with his wife about their dwindling presence. The project seeks to preserve the memory of a defining feature of Kolkata's urban identity through photographs.