Dhanalakshmi Screens

Dhanalakshmi Screens has been operating out of No. 42/8 Rama Street in Nungambakkam for quite some time now. It’s a relatively quiet street compared to the main roads nearby, which is nice. We spend most of our time working with the screens and the inks. You can usually find a few of us with ink stains on our shirts or hands because that’s just how the job goes. The shop is filled with the smell of cleaning fluids and paint. We have benches set up where we stretch the mesh and get everything lined up. It’s a lot of repetitive movement, but you get into a rhythm after the first hour or two. We don't have a big front office or anything. Most people just walk straight into the work area. We’ve lived and worked in Nungambakkam for years, so we’ve seen the buildings go up all around us while we just stayed here on Rama Street. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to wait around, but usually, we are busy from start to finish. We don't use any high-tech systems, just the old ways that we’ve learned over time. It’s a bit messy and the floor is stained with every color imaginable, but it’s our space and we know where every tool is kept.