In December 2018, when freelance photographer Domenico Pugliese met designer Diana Linda in Mumbai, they decided to collaborate on a project. On what, they weren't clear. This was when Pugliese—known in Latin America for documenting the emerald mines in Colombia and the Zapatista rebels of Mexico—encountered the transgender community in the city. "After the scrapping of Section 377, I thought things would have changed in India. But when I saw so many transgenders begging on the street and living an unhappy life, I was surprised," the photojournalist says over the phone from Myanmar where he is on assignment.

Linda was excited to interview and write about the transgenders and crossdressers of Mumbai, even as the two convinced them to pose for him. Initially, the two decided to present the content to an international magazine, but later got in touch with the Italian Consulate in Mumbai. Linda, an expatriate living here since 2002, shared the project with Italian consul general Stefania Constanza.