Rain Dogs

Rain Dogs began during the pandemic, when Rohit Chawla found himself walking the unusually deserted beaches of Goa under the monsoon skies. With tourists gone and everyday life suspended, the stray dogs that remained became his companions and, gradually, the subjects of one of his most intimate bodies of work. Over time, Chawla photographed thousands of frames, finding in the dogs’ resilience and isolation a reflection of his own experience of that extraordinary period.

The resulting photographs are quiet, atmospheric and deeply personal, placing the animals within vast beaches, rain, sea and occasionally the distant presence of people. Published by HarperCollins India, Rain Dogs brings these photographs together with contributions from around thirty writers, poets and cultural figures. The project developed simultaneously as a book and an exhibition, transforming an intensely personal photographic journey into a wider reflection on empathy, abandonment, companionship and the relationship between humans and animals.

Proceeds from the book project support registered animal-welfare charities.