The Catalyst: Rudolf von Leyden and India's Artistic Awakening is a product of extensive interviews with Rudi’s family members, friends and artists, as well as references from articles, diary notes and letters, which are archived by his niece and nephew based in Berlin and Sussex, respectively.

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As an art critic with the Times of India in the 1940s and 1950s, Rudi’s words provided a perspective that put an artist’s metier into context. He was a friend, mentor and guide to the Bombay Progressives Artists’ Group (PAG). Peppered with many compelling anecdotes, the book aims to trace Rudi’s journey through the prism of the artists’ lives he deeply impacted.

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Much has been written about artists such as M.F. Husain, K.H. Ara, F.N. Souza, V.S. Gaitonde and S.H. Raza, who dominated the scene during this time, but little is known about Rudi, an influential figure in their artistic lives. The foreword of the book has been written by the last-surviving modernist, Krishen Khanna.