Ever since their conception, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have been touted to take away jobs across sectors. If Malad-based AI artist Varun Gupta’s artworks are any indication, the latest addition to the list might be a familiar face — Santa. Gupta’s next series, Meri Gully Christmas, is a reimagination of slumdwellers celebrating Christmas; centred around a rollercoaster that traverses slums, spreading joy among the inhabitants. The artist walks us through the lanes of JB Nagar in Andheri, and shares how the series came to life.

“The slums are a different world altogether,” Gupta comments as we walk towards the slum in the unforgiving afternoon heat of Mumbai. The moment we step inside, Gupta’s remark manifests itself, almost like an AI prompt. The bright sunlight surrenders to a thick shadow cast by the tightly crammed houses that envelope us. The artist shares that it was a work-related visit like this in 2018 that inspired his latest series. “I had just moved to the city from my hometown — Allahabad; I had heard fascinating things about the slums here. In order to find out for myself, I stepped out. My key takeaways from the visit were the stories and experiences that every individual I met there carried with them,” he adds.