COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
Coffee Table Books
The Art of Visuals creates premium commissioned coffee table books in India for government institutions, police and security forces, public bodies and industry. Across nearly 40 titles, the roles of Pravin Talan, Rupali Talan and The Art of Visuals have ranged from original visualisation and principal photography to editorial development, creative production and publishing.
Each book begins with an understanding of what makes its subject distinct. Rather than applying a fixed visual formula, Pravin Talan and Rupali Talan develop an original visual language for every project—shaping the photography, narrative, pace and design around the character of the institution and the story it wishes to preserve. This approach transforms documentation into a publication with its own identity while adding lasting value to the project it represents.
Every institution brings its history, expertise, archives, achievements and understanding of what it represents. The Art of Visuals is often entrusted with finding the visual and editorial form through which that depth can be communicated. Working closely with senior officials and subject specialists, Pravin Talan and Rupali Talan identify the central idea, determine what needs to be photographed, interpret existing material and shape it into a coherent narrative. The institution brings its knowledge and purpose; The Art of Visuals brings the visualisation, storytelling and production experience required to translate it into a distinctive book.
Selected Coffee Table Books
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The Making of a Black Cat Commando
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Mahakumbh: Order Within the Divine Surge
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Gadchiroli: The Saga of Soil & Spirit
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Yashasvini
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NSG 360°
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Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited
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NSG Close Protection Force
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CRPF: Mantras of a Dynamic Force
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Maharashtra Police
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UP Police: Towards Smart Policing
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True Grit
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BMC Disaster Management
The Making of a Black Cat Commando
Client: National Security Guard
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 152 pages · Rendezvous White 190 GSM · Hardbound edition with matching rigid slipcase
NSG — A Decade of TrustExplore the photographs, films and books from a decade of work with the National Security Guard.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑
Mahakumbh: Order Within the Divine Surge
Client: Uttar Pradesh Police
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 184 pages · Natural Evolution White 200 GSM · Section-sewn hardbound edition with matching rigid slipcase · Aqueous-coated pages · MetPET metallic cover with silver-gloss and thermal-matte treatment · Custom electroplated title · Limited-edition black satin presentation box with electroplated detailing
Mahakumbh: Order Within the Divine SurgeThe photographs, films and experiences behind Pravin Talan and Rupali Talan’s Mahakumbh project.Read the full story →Back to the books ↑
Gadchiroli: The Saga of Soil & Spirit
Client: Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 184 pages · Natural Evolution White 200 GSM · Section-sewn hardbound edition with matching rigid slipcase · Satin aqueous finish · MetPET metallic cover with silver-gloss and thermal-matte treatment · Custom electroplated title · Limited-edition black satin presentation box with electroplated detailing
Gadchiroli: The Saga of Soil & SpiritExplore the wider visual project behind this book.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑
Yashasvini
Client: Central Reserve Police Force
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 164 pages · Mont Blanc Extra White 130 GSM · Section-sewn hardbound edition with paper jacket · Satin aqueous finish · Silver foiling and spot-UV detailing
Women in UniformExplore Pravin Talan and Rupali Talan’s photographic work celebrating women in uniform.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑
NSG 360°
Client: National Security Guard
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 154 pages · Rendezvous White 190 GSM · Hardbound edition with matching rigid slipcase
NSG — A Decade of TrustExplore the photographs, films and books from a decade of work with the National Security Guard.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑
Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited
Client: Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 86 pages / 43 back-to-back spreads · Rendezvous Super White 160 GSM · Hardbound edition with back-to-back pasted leaves · Gloss aqueous finish · MetPET metallic cover with silver-gloss and thermal-matte treatment
NSG Close Protection Force
Client: National Security Guard
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 11 × 11 inches · 126 pages · Mont Blanc paper · Hardbound edition with paper jacket
NSG — A Decade of TrustExplore the photographs, films and books from a decade of work with the National Security Guard.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑
CRPF: Mantras of a Dynamic Force
Client: Central Reserve Police Force
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 9.83 × 8.19 inches · 254 pages · Landscape format · Mont Blanc paper · Hardbound edition with paper jacket
Maharashtra Police
Client: Maharashtra Police
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 9.5 × 13 inches · 314 pages · Portrait-format hardbound edition
UP Police: Towards Smart Policing
Client: Uttar Pradesh Police
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 212 pages · Mont Blanc Extra White 130 GSM · Section-sewn hardbound edition with paper jacket · Satin aqueous finish · Gold foiling and spot-UV detailing
True Grit
Client: Maharashtra Police
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 11 × 11 inches · 148 pages · Mont Blanc paper · Hardbound edition with paper jacket
BMC Disaster Management
Client: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
SELECTED COMPLETE SPREADS
Edition details: 12 × 12 inches · 178 pages · Mont Blanc paper · Hardbound edition with paper jacket
Filming DisasterThe story behind Mumbai’s 3D disaster-management films.Explore the project →Back to the books ↑CRAFTED FOR EACH COMMISSION
No two books are approached as standard productions. The paper, binding, coating, cover treatment and presentation format are selected around the character of the subject and the requirements of the client. Depending on the visual language of the book, we may use a soft, low-glare satin aqueous coating, a richer gloss treatment or a restrained matte finish. Section-sewn hardcase binding, back-to-back pasted spreads, foil, spot UV, custom electroplated titles, jackets, slipcases and limited-edition presentation boxes are introduced where they add genuine value. This combination of creative direction and technical production knowledge allows The Art of Visuals to deliver books that are distinctive, durable and individually crafted for the institutions they represent.
Where appropriate, The Art of Visuals recommends custom rigid-board slipcases as an integral part of the edition. Beyond enhancing presentation, the slipcase protects the book’s cover and page edges during storage and handling. Carrying the same visual design as the book itself, it extends the identity of the publication while giving it the presence of a carefully finished archival object.
Selected editions use MetPET cover printing—a metallised silver surface printed with process colours and opaque white to create controlled metallic highlights across the cover. This differs from conventional foil stamping, which is applied only to selected areas. Silver-gloss and thermal-matte treatments are then used to balance reflectivity, texture and protection.
A Body of Work Built on Trust
A significant part of this work is devoted to India’s men and women in uniform. Created through close access to training, operations, field environments and the people behind the uniform, these are not simply commemorative books. They are visual records of discipline, preparedness, courage, sacrifice and public service—and of the quiet human resolve carried by those entrusted with protecting others.
The larger body of publications and visual projects has included work with the National Security Guard, Central Reserve Police Force, CoBRA, Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Maharashtra Police, Mumbai Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and Bihar Police. Beyond the uniformed services, the subjects extend to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited, Nayara Energy and projects documenting industry, infrastructure, disaster management, CSR, culture, heritage and regional development.
Much of this work has taken place within high-security and operationally sensitive environments. Access to such locations has been earned through nearly two decades of sustained work with government organisations—through discretion, respect for protocol, an understanding of security requirements and consistent delivery. Repeated commissions and continuing associations reflect institutional trust not only in the work created, but also in the team’s conduct on the ground and the integrity with which sensitive subjects are handled.
Book Releases & Presentations
These books have been released by Union Home Ministers, Chief Ministers and the heads of the institutions they document. The first copy of Yashasvini was presented to Honourable President Droupadi Murmu.
The work has travelled across vastly different terrains—from the Northeast to Ladakh, from the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir to the deep delta of the Sundarbans. Assignments have taken the teams into conflict zones, regions affected by militancy and Left Wing Extremism, remote forests and difficult industrial environments, as well as some of India’s most important religious, cultural and heritage destinations. The ability to work within demanding permissions, security protocols, weather conditions and logistical realities has become an important part of how these visual archives are created.
The scale of individual projects has often been exceptional. Mahakumbh: Order Within the Divine Surge documented the security and organisation behind a gathering of more than 66 crore pilgrims, involving over 50,000 security personnel and an extensive network of surveillance, technology and emergency-response systems. The Gadchiroli assignment resulted in two substantial coffee table books and a series of films, documenting the district across its remote landscapes, tribal communities, culture, crafts, heritage, education, healthcare, CSR, industry and development.
The assignment ends. The photograph remains.
That belief carries a larger responsibility: a commitment to India and to the way its people, institutions and culture are seen and remembered across the world. Whether the subject is a commando, a tribal community, an ancient ritual, a public institution, an industrial transformation or a landscape rarely seen beyond its region, the intention is to represent it with respect, accuracy and visual ambition. A photograph may begin as part of an assignment, but over time it can enter an archive and become part of how an institution, a community or even a country is remembered.
For Pravin Talan and Rupali Talan, creating these books is therefore not only about producing an impressive publication. It is about creating a lasting visual record of contemporary India—its courage, cultural depth, public service, heritage, industry and transformation—and presenting that story to audiences in India and around the world with dignity.
These books have also travelled beyond the institutions for which they were created. The National Book Trust, India has showcased Pravin Talan’s books and visual work on the National Security Guard at major book fairs in India and overseas, including the Frankfurt Book Fair and New Delhi World Book Fair. Many of the publications have been formally released by Union Home Ministers, Chief Ministers and senior officials of the institutions they document.
The twelve books presented here offer a selected glimpse of this larger journey. Together, they reflect The Art of Visuals’ experience in turning complex institutional subjects into carefully visualised and produced books designed to remain relevant long after their release.
PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PUBLICATIONS
FILM TEASER · VIRTUAL COFFEE-TABLE BOOK
1920: Cold Winter
Vikram Bhatt’s film teaser unfolds through a virtual coffee-table book, bringing cinematic photographs together with Himesh Reshammiya’s haunting music.
Photography: Pravin Talan & Rupali Talan
Watch the film teaser
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