Publications – Harsha Vadlamani

Heavy Lies the Grain // The Caravan Magazine

Harsha Vadlamani — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 09:06:16 +0000

It feels surreal to finally see my project, Heavy Lies the Grain, in print in the March 2025 issue of The Caravan magazine. When I first travelled to southern Punjab in 2016 to begin this work, I had no idea where it would take me. I couldn’t have imagined the paths it would open up, the people it would bring into my life, or the stories that would shape me along the way. Over eight years, it grew across more than 200 villages and hundreds of conversations with farmers. Their generosity, honesty and resilience carried this project forward. Thank you, Punjab, for being so kind and so deeply giving.

I am very grateful to the National Geographic Society, which generously supported this work, and to my program officer, David Lee.

The Poison of the Gods: The Second Life of Sacrificial Flowers // GEO Germany

Harsha Vadlamani — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 17:14:32 +0000

A 2016 study found that approximately eight million tonnes of discarded flowers are dumped into India’s rivers and other water bodies annually. This waste not only clogs and pollutes the rivers and harms aquatic life, but also contaminates the water with pesticides and chemical fertilisers used in flower cultivation. A few entrepreneurs are now tackling the problem by recycling flowers from places of worship to make incense and other products, while creating sustainable livelihoods for underprivileged women. For GEO Germany, I followed the lifecycle of flowers and one such entrepreneur, Poonam Sehrawat of Aaruhi Herbals in Gurgaon.

Sehrawat begins her day collecting wilted marigolds, roses, and other offerings from nearby temples, where the flowers are piled high in bins after ceremonies. Working with a small team, she sorts them by hand, drying the petals in the sun before grinding them into powders used for natural dyes, incense sticks, and herbal soaps. The process is simple but labour-intensive, relying on traditional techniques and minimal machinery. By reusing what was once considered waste, her initiative not only reduces environmental damage but also brings meaningful employment to women in the area, many of whom had limited options for income.

Read the piece here.

Why Tamil Movie Heroes Become Politicians // The Economist

Harsha Vadlamani — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 18:09:49 +0000

Kollywood, the Tamil-language movie industry, is based in Chennai and produces around 150 films a year. That is less than the 200 made by Bollywood, its Hindi rival. But in many ways, movies matter more in Tamil Nadu. The state has 5% of India’s population but 12% of its screens. And in all but five years since 1967, the state’s chief minister has had Kollywood roots.

For The Economist, I photographed the frenzy around the release of Leo, Kollywood superstar Vijay’s latest movie. Read the piece here.

The Crazy Rise of the Indian Airport Tycoon // Le Point

Harsha Vadlamani — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 17:37:24 +0000

Starting from the bottom of the ladder, Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, built GMR step by step into a powerful conglomerate with interests in construction, energy and air transport. The 73-year-old businessman, with humble beginnings in a town of 5000 in northern Andhra Pradesh, is now worth USD 1.9 billion, according to Forbes.

I photographed the expansion work at T1 of New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport for Le Point. Read the piece here.

For Le Point, I have also worked on two other stories: one about the French dairy major Lactalis’s presence in India and another about the advances in India’s space capabilities.

Meet India’s MrBeast — selfless saint or fame-hungry vlogger? // Rest of World

Harsha Vadlamani — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 11:24:31 +0000

Devudu, or God, is a word that comes up often when Harsha Sai‘s fans talk about him. The Indian YouTuber’s videos of stunt philanthropy, turning acts of charity and kindness into spectacles that garner millions of views and ad revenue, have earned him a loyal fanbase across southern India. One of his most popular videos showed him turning a poor barber into a ‘millionaire’. In a more recent video, he very dramatically ate a grain of rice at a roadside eatery, before gifting a thick wad of notes to the woman who ran the place.

For Rest of World, Nilesh Christopher and I followed him on a warm February morning as he orchestrated (and filmed) a surprise gift of 22 buffaloes and about 17 calves for his video titled “I made a poor milkman into a millionaire.” The family, whose son suffers from a rare medical condition, was scammed by someone claiming to be from Sai’s team and upon learning about it from a YouTube news video, Sai set out to help the family.

Tens of Sai’s followers lined up along the street leading to the family’s home in Kothapet outside Hyderabad, as they waited for Sai to arrive with the family and surprise them. Seeing how I could get close to him, some from the neighbouring village kept requesting me to convince Sai to visit their village fair that day. A father with two children was one of the many people who waited for a chance to meet Sai and request help. And when they discovered they were now the owners of several Murrah buffaloes, the couple collapsed in tears at Sai’s feet.

Ashok and Vijaya, the couple being helped by Harsha Sai, turn emotional as they catch sight of the buffaloes lined up in front of their home in Kothapet, Telangana, India. February 15, 2023.

Sai is estimated to have spent over USD 60k on this video alone. As he gains more followers and influence, questions are being raised about his wealth and intentions. Read the article here.