From the Chemould Archives, Reena Saini Kallat was drawn to a poignant letter by Khorshed Gandhy, addressed to the Indian Prime Minister in 1961. Khorshed, expressing her dual roles as a concerned citizen and a mother, conveyed her distress upon witnessing a film that she saw as deeply divisive. Her letter questions the Prime Minister about the public viewing of the film, implying a state endorsement. She warns about the dangers of nurturing hate and fear among India's youth—impressionable minds that could shape the nation's future.

Reena Saini Kallat, in collaboration with her son Ahaan—a computer science student—has extrapolated Khorshed's concerns into our coming future. Utilizing AI Generative Predictive Text, they have produced a hypothetical letter dated in 2051 underlaid with an echocardiogram, exactly a lifetime since Khorshed's original correspondence. This futuristic letter, is once again addressed to the head of state. It echoes the same lingering apprehensions about who and what the citizens of India are becoming in a hyperconnected world with the continuing imprints of fears and hate towards our neighbours.

In 2023, we find ourselves in the midst of that transformative 'becoming'. Reena's work places us at a distinctive juncture of course correction, if we are willing to listen.