‘Unbroken Roots’ is a long-term documentary project that explores the lives of tribal communities and Dalits in India who continue to live under the remnants of the caste system as socially marginalized people. Beneath the surface of rapidly modernizing Indian society, there are still invisible boundaries where one’s social position is often determined at birth, and discrimination and exclusion remain deeply embedded in everyday life. Through the environments, expressions, and presence of the people I encountered, this project seeks to confront those enduring social divisions that still exist today.

Through this work, I did not want to merely portray poverty or suffering. Rather, I wanted to document the resilience, dignity, and humanity of people who continue to endure, protect their families, and sustain their communities despite generations of discrimination. Some live in silence, while others remain unseen by society, yet their lives hold the same emotions, dreams, and hopes as any other human being.

Ultimately, this project is an attempt to bring these hidden lives into the light—revealing the reality of discrimination that still persists, while at the same time showing the enduring human spirit of those who adapt, survive, and continue to live with strength and dignity despite the circumstances imposed upon them.