New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- Munshi Premchand's Doodh ka Daam (1934), or "Price of Milk", is about many things- caste inequalities, social justice and empathy. However, the one thing that lingers long after you have read the short story is the relationship between a poor farmer, Mangal, and a village stray, Tommy. There is such an affinity that they share the same cot, the scraps doled out to Mangal by the landlord, and understand each other perfectly. In a world of discrimination, the two find companionship in each other.

The figure of the street dog has always been an integral part of the Indian cultural topography, be it in literature, painting, illustration or photography. From Premchand and Ruskin Bond to contemporary writers and artists, ...