Photos: Cinema ushers in the New Year for Delhi’s homeless

Amid the fog on New Years’ Eve, hundreds of homeless men huddled in blankets, saw a break from the mundane, assembling in an open ground near Nigambodh Ghat to watch a movie being projected on a screen.

Updated on: Jan 02, 2018 3:40 PM IST

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New Years’ Eve was the coldest day of the season in the capital with the mercury dipping to 5.7 degree Celsius. In an open ground near Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi, hundreds of men, huddled in blankets outside the area’s government shelters to watch ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ being projected on a screen. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Of Delhi’s approximately 20,000 homeless men, women and children, around 13,000 stay in these mat-lined shelters across the city. The movie screening had been organised as part of a New Years’ Eve celebration for them. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Aspirations for the New Year are not their primary concerns. Many are daily wagers who face job insecurity, others fight personal battles with addiction. Despite that, some of them say they have big hopes for 2018: a room of their own, new clothes for their grandkids, an education. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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A homeless person huddles in a temporary open air theatre screening a movie on New Year’s Eve near Nigambodh Ghat. The choice of movie didn’t necessarily cater to everyone’s taste but a chance to watch one on a big screen was draw enough to step out in the biting cold. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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For many like Rajesh Yadav, making do with odd jobs, the concern is “always about the ‘new day’, not the ‘new year’.” He came to Delhi in the hopes of landing a “good job” and turned to alcohol as a means of coping with life on the streets. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Addiction remains a major problem among the homeless. Many turn to substances to deal with the cold winter or out of habit because “It is convenient for them. There are no expenses so they can spend their money on drugs,” as Mohammed Shafeeq, who arrived at this shelter two months ago puts it. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Movie screenings at shelters like this one punctuate an otherwise bleak existence on the streets. An occasional screening provides a sense of community to scattered lives and also relaxation after a day’s labour. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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While the joy of cinema managed to pull a crowd even on the coldest night of the season so far, others remained nonplussed. Many did not bother coming out of their shelters, preferring instead to bring in the New Year with some semblance of a roof over their heads. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)