Judging the Covers: Collector Arunabha Ghosh takes us through his vinyl collection

It began with a visit to his headmaster’s house. Young Arunabha Ghosh, was captivated by the sound of a raga playing on a small record player. “The sound was mono, but it was so pure,” he recalls. “I asked the headmaster what that black disc was. He showed me the cover, and it was an Ali Akbar Khan record. That was the first time I really noticed the artwork.” Ghosh still remembers his headmaster suggesting he start a collection, and that’s how it began.

Arunabha Ghosh on his journey of being a vinyl collector

Ghosh, who began collecting records in 1990, describes himself not as an audiophile but as a visual collector. “I collected those records for the music.for sure but my main motive for the collection is for the cover art” he says.

Cinema on the cover

Over the years, he has amassed nearly 10,000 records from across the world, especially from the US and Germany. While his collection includes everything from Western classical and Latin guitar to folk and Indian classical music, the exhibition focuses solely on film soundtrack covers. 

The covers have been arranged chronologically, starting from the 1950s. One of Ghosh’s favourites, the 1959 Charlton Heston-starrer Ben-Hur cover, displays the film’s monumental scale through its massive, colossal architectural typography, against an ochre background. “You can see the lettering; it’s designed in such a way that just by looking at it, you feel like you're watching a 70mm movie,” he says.

Among the Hollywood highlights is The Godfather (1972), featuring the famous puppet-string logo in black and white. Another standout is Superman: The Movie (1978), with its gleaming 3D logo and an inner sleeve that shows Christopher Reeve in mid-flight, cape billowing behind.

On the other hand, Doctor Zhivago (1965) has a softer, wintry appeal; its split portrait of the lead lovers played by Omar Sharif and Julie Christie depicting the tragic romance set against the backdrop of the Russian revolution. 

The Indian section of the exhibition is equally enchanting. Leading the row is Satyajit Ray, with four soundtrack covers of his films–designed by his son, Sandip Ray–put under spotlight. These include Shatranj Ke Khiladi, with a chessboard-like bordered pattern; and Ghore Baire, with the saffron wash and a flame motif placed atop the title.

The exhibition also displays lesser-acknowledged gems like the 1979 Meera album featuring Hema Malini framed within a quatrefoil border, or Oliver! (1968) with its vintage-inspired oval frame.

Handcrafted, with care 

Manjurita Mondal, the curator of the exhibition, has worked closely with Ghosh to select the vinyls for the display. “He pointed out which covers were considered iconic, which ones had jacket folds with more artwork, and which would be easier for visitors to relate to,” explains Mondal, a master’s student at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Ghosh values each cover he owns, designed discreetly by the artists. “Earlier, there was no Photoshop or Illustrator, and all the designing and art was done manually by them,” he adds. “They had to design using only three or four colours. In today’s technology-driven time, designers use different softwares to paint, or design. Thus, it is difficult to find handcrafted artwork of such immense value.” 

Many of the records in Ghosh’s collection were picked up from Mumbai, Kolkata, and even overseas, at prices he calls 'reasonable' back then. According to him, the albums cost around Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,000 each, today. 

“Graphic design in India hasn’t always credited its creators,” Ghosh remarks. “In the US or UK, you’ll often find the name of the designer or agency somewhere on the cover. But in India, that documentation is missing. We need to change that, so that the designers receive the much-required appreciation for their art, and people get to know more about it.”

The exhibition is on view till August 1, at IIC Annexe

This story is written by Pankhil Jhajhria