Spanning India, East Africa and the UK, Nalini explores the connected histories of Arpita Shah, her mother and her grandmother. Bringing contemporary portraits and still lifes together with family photographs and heirloom objects, the series traces the effects of migration, distance and loss across generations. Shah’s search through family archives and visits to places connected with her maternal ancestors led to new discoveries about their lives and relationships. The title is her grandmother’s name and the Sanskrit word for lotus. Flowers recur as offerings to the women in her family: the lotus symbolises femininity, fertility and rebirth, while bougainvillea connects memories of India and East Africa. Photographs of bodies, possessions and places bring these family histories together.

Arpita Shah has explained that "Growing up as an Indian woman, one of the most familiar memories is watching all my female relatives combing and braiding their hair, usually in the morning and then before bed. My mother still does this, and my grandmother used to till her hair was cut off when she was really unwell, this is a photograph of her braid decorated with wild roses from Nairobi. The language of hair is very complex and varied in India. Historically it’s a powerful metaphor used in Hindu mythology and even today there are certain hair ceremonies that happen at particular life events, such as birth and death. For me as Indian woman, the ritual of braiding my hair is a really important part of my identity, as it makes me feel closer my female relatives and my ancestors, it’s a ritual we all share."