Damri and Correa and several others of their generation are celebrating Ageing in India, an exhibition by photographer Samar Jodha and film-maker Vijay Jodha. ``After lot of commercial photography and portraits, three years ago Vijay and I decided to bring the face of ageing in India to light.

It has coincided well with the International Year of Older Persons 1999,'' says Samar, 38 of whose works are on display at Max Mueller Bhavan. A Helpage India and United Nations Information Centre project, presented by the The Indian Express, the photo-show will be held till November 5.

``With nuclear familiesgaining ground, our elders are facing a problem. Decisions are taken, policies are made for them. But beyond the realm of the activist, the policy planner and specialist, there lies a face that everyone needs to see,'' says Samar. In the next few months, the Jodha brothers will travel with their show to 21 other cities, bringing local flavour to each visit. ``We are also toying with the idea of taking it to schools to help our children see what lies ahead,'' says Vijay, who, after exhaustive research work and interviews, has written the text to go with his brother's lens work.

On view are life histories of people like cartoonist Pran, letter-writer Anthony Parakal, Anant Pai of Amar Chitra Katha, Mulk Raj Anand, actress Nadira, actor Jagdish Raj who entered the Guiness Book of World Record for playing an inspector for the maximum number of times, painter Amrita Pritam and activist Swaraj Lata Goel. ``All speak for their generation, drawing our attention to a responsibility we all should feel,'' says Vijay,who hopes that their work sensitises people to the needs and problems of the aged.

Actress Nadira recounts: ``There's a woman living downstairs. She pays somebody Rs 240 to watch her sleep.'' Several others have been portrayed to present a comprehensive picture of the ageing scenario in India, exploratory and hopeful. ``This has brought to the fore all kinds of aged those who have wisened with passing years and others whose prejudices have deepened with age -- like Jamuna Devi, a Madhubani artist from Bihar,'' says Samar.

The placard next to her picture reads: ``The President gave me an award. They gave me all the rations and vegetables and asked me to make my own meals. There they won't cook for you, not even a cup of tea. Anyway their cup of tea looks like grass under your feet.'' But then there's Amrita Pritam, who believes age is like a cup of tea: the last sip is the sweetest.