Photographer Sunhil Sippy shares rare behind-the-scenes moments with Christopher Nolan during Mumbai visit

Photographer and filmmaker Sunhil Sippy has offered a rare glimpse into Christopher Nolan's visit to Mumbai's Film Heritage Foundation, describing the Oscar-winning director as a "childlike cinephile" captivated by India's efforts to preserve cinematic history.

Christopher Nolan visited Mumbai's Film Heritage Foundation

In a detailed Instagram post, Sippy reflected on spending an afternoon photographing Nolan at the Film Heritage Foundation's headquarters in Ballard Estate, just a day before the Indian premiere of The Odyssey. The visit was arranged by Film Heritage Foundation founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, whose work in film preservation has earned international recognition.

"Christopher Nolan at The Film Heritage Foundation, Ballard Estate, Mumbai - July 2026 (sic)," Sippy began, before paying tribute to Dungarpur's dedication.

"Shivendra Singh Dungarpur is relentless. His work in the field of film preservation must never be taken for granted (sic)," he continued.

Sippy revealed that he had worked closely with Dungarpur over the past few years, documenting restoration projects, historic cinemas, projectionists, film critics and filmmakers. He said the journey began with photographing the restoration of Kamani House in Ballard Estate, which now serves as the Film Heritage Foundation's home.

Recalling the invitation to photograph Nolan, Sippy wrote, "When Shivi told me that Christopher Nolan would be coming to the city and would I please spare an afternoon and make some photographs, I cleared my calendar! (sic)"

According to Sippy, the highlight of the day was not simply photographing one of the world's most celebrated filmmakers, but watching Nolan and Dungarpur bond over their shared passion for cinema.

Sippy wrote, "It was the day prior to the Indian Premiere of The Odyssey and I made several photos that afternoon, but the real treat was observing Shivi and Christopher together. Two childlike cinephiles enchanted by a space dedicated to cinema (sic)."

He added that Nolan witnessed the restoration of a 70mm film print in progress and spent time exploring the Foundation's archive, where film negatives and vintage posters are carefully preserved.

"Christopher got to see the restoration of a 70mm cinema print happening live and he spent time in the archive where both negatives and old film posters are maintained with love and care (sic)," Sippy added.

Sippy said Nolan's enthusiasm appeared entirely genuine, particularly as he recognised the scale of work being undertaken by the Foundation.

He wrote, "Christopher's excitement was completely authentic, understandably so, as I suspect it's rare to see such single-handed dedication to work that most national museums or big old film studios might be doing globally (sic)."

The photographer also used the post to highlight Dungarpur's lifelong commitment to safeguarding India's film heritage, saying his passion extends far beyond restoration work.

He wrote, "The joy of working with Shivi comes from his unbridled passion for all things cinema. While photographing Christopher Nolan was extra special, watching Shivi rummage through old memorabilia at Chor Bazaar or photographing an old film trophy in a Mazgaon chawl are all part of his journey. Above all things it is passion for restoring films, breathing life back into forgotten masterpieces that we must always remember (sic)."

Sippy ended his account with a personal moment from the visit, revealing that he presented Nolan with a copy of his first book, The Opium of Time. When the filmmaker asked him to sign it, Sippy admitted the occasion left him flustered.

He ended his post with, "It was also a particular thrill to share a copy of my first book, The Opium of Time with Christopher. When he asked me to sign it, all I could manage was a nervous scrawl. All in all, a very special Friday in the city! (sic)"

Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Emma Thomas were in India for the Mumbai premiere of The Odyssey. After working in Jodhpur for The Dark Knight Rises and in Mumbai for Tenet, Nolan chose Mumbai for The Odyssey's much-awaited premiere, which was held on 10 July.

The Odyssey arrives in theatres on 17 July 2026.