Images come and go. They do not just float without direction; there is a logic and resonance in how they move (Larkin 2008). In the words of Raqs Media Collective, images crowd the streets and become the streets. The cityscapes in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are no different in that respect. Banners, posters, murals, cutouts, and other signboards of diverse styles and formats constellate in its public spaces. In cityscapes such as these, buildings blend in with the billboards in-between. Typically, signboards present a plethora of stimuli displaying the most diverse range of products. Huge billboards may advertise jewellery, saris, underwear, mobile networks, new urban development plots, or the latest film releases. Shopfronts carry all sorts of ads on their shutters. Walls of buildings become vast displays of cement brands, underwear, and all sorts of commercial paraphernalia. Unless clearly marked otherwise with the typical ‘stick no bill’ sign, building facades and walls are sure to be painted or pasted with something. Whenever possible, their walls double as commercial advertisements that bear little or no relation to the shops they shelter. Villages in Tamil Nadu are thus sometimes almost literally overshadowed by advertisements. Political imagery is even more pervasive, covering buildings and compound walls in political party symbols and images of their leaders. Cutouts, in their turn, used to tower over cityscapes, displaying larger-than-life images of Tamil Nadu's main political leaders and film stars. Film stars like these present yet another of the city's visual tropes: their faces adorn film posters and billboards but also appear on signboards belonging to photo studios, tailors, or barbers who use them to attract customers.

As I navigated the towns and streets of Tamil Nadu, this whole visual landscape would become part of my everyday experience.