For well over a century now, the Mullick Ghat flower market has been thriving in Kolkata, India. Hundreds of people come out every day to sell their flowers on the banks of the Hooghly River.
Can you find ‘Waldo’ in the world’s most populous country?
Photographs by Greg Mo
Story by Kyle Almond, CNN
Published January 13, 2024
For well over a century now, the Mullick Ghat flower market has been thriving in Kolkata, India. Hundreds of people come out every day to sell their flowers on the banks of the Hooghly River.
At first, it just looks like any other photo taken outside the Taj Mahal.
Droves of people are walking in front of India’s most iconic tourist attraction, where millions visit each year. In the background, the domed mausoleum, next to four minarets, stands majestically in white marble.
It’s a beautiful view, but not necessarily one of a kind.
Or is it?
Take a look on the left side of the photo below, where people are walking near the reflecting pool. Look for the guy in the red-and-white shirt.
Is that … Waldo?
If you live in the United States or Canada, you may be familiar with the children’s book series “Where’s Waldo?”
But ask for the children’s book in other countries, and you’ll probably have to use a different name. In Germany, the main character is known as Walter. In France, he’s Charlie. In Sweden, he’s Hugo.
Photographer Greg Mo knows the series by its original name: “Where’s Wally?” The popular books, by English illustrator Martin Handford, are known for their full-page drawings where readers have to search through a crowd to try to find the main character in his red-and-white striped shirt, knit hat and glasses.
Now it’s your turn
Mo created a real-life version of this during his recent travels to India. Can you find Wally — or as he’s called in India, Hetti — in these pictures?
Click or tap where you think you see him in each of these photos below to see if you’re right.
India passed China this year to become the world’s most populous country, according to the United Nations.
That’s an estimated 1.425 billion people — a staggering number that can be hard to visualize.
Mo was looking for ways to illustrate India’s growth while also showing what daily life is like for those who live there.
So he looked to one of his favorite children’s books for inspiration.
Mo, who splits his time between France and Cambodia, has been to India five times, for a total of about two or three months. He has a different “Wally” in every city he’s been to, meeting people in restaurants and in the streets and asking if they would be willing to play the part and stand in a crowd while he takes photos from afar.
Mo calls his specific character “Shakti,” a unisex name in India that he says “represents the creative power of the universe, the source of life.” But no matter which name he used, he didn’t meet many Indians who were familiar with the books or the concept.
“For sure, I needed to explain it to them,” he said. “I have to say, I’m not sure they really got it at first. I’m not sure they understand how big it is abroad.”
Mo’s photos put the famous character into many of the cities he visited, such as Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. All were taken during normal weekdays to give the viewer a realistic look at how how average residents live.
“India is intense,” he said. “It’s crowded, yes, it’s a lot of people — but the cities are big also. To find a place to shoot, to have a wide (area) where you can shoot and have the crowd in front of you, it’s very difficult to find this type of location in India.”
Mo would spend several days scouting locations in each city and then go back with his “Shakti” when the light was good. Together they’d work for an entire afternoon, communicating by phone to get just the perfect scene.
Nailing the puzzle aspect is fun and essential, of course, but Mo also wants to be sure that each of his photos is a good representation of the city he’s in.
“The background is very important, something that explains India in some way,” he said. “I want something visually that is also beautiful and pleasant. And I also need a very good crowd. That kind of ‘woah’ effect when you see the photo: I try to reach a point where when you see the photo, even if you don’t see the (Shakti), you are already shocked by the amount of people in the frame.”
Having some interesting people in the frame — just like the drawings in the books — also helps make the best photos.
“Maybe some women dressed in a very Indian way with vibrant colors, or a cotton candy seller,” Mo said. “I look for (Shakti) but I also look for some natural character from India in this particular moment.”
In crowds this big, it was easy for the character to blend in.
“People paid him no mind,” Mo said. “There are so many people in India, especially where we went. People were rarely surprised. It’s not the kind of thing that they are concerned about. They all go about their lives. Even if it’s a strange costume, I don’t think people really looked at him. I never felt like (he) was the center of attention. People just think he’s naturally dressed.”
Mo is planning to go back and visit a couple of new cities, Ahmadabad and Hyderabad. He’s always looking for people who may want to be his next Shakti. He’s also looking for a publishing house to maybe put his project into a book.
“I fell in love with this country because of its diversity,” he said. “It’s visually interesting and it’s very big, so it can be many different things. … I’m very curious about this country. It gives me a sense of discovery.”
