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TLC for the Gateway

Workers sit atop the scaffolding set up for the ongoing restoration works at the Gateway of India

Correa’s vision for our times

(From left) A view of Kanchanjunga Apartments on Peddar Road. File Pic: A sketch of Charles Correa. Illustration Courtesy/DOULURI NARAYANA, NIYOGI BOOKS

As Mumbai continues to battle the monsoon wearily, with its never-say-die attitude, the late Charles Correa would have found it amusing. The architect and urban planner, who passed away on this day (June 16) in 2015, was among the early visionaries behind the idea of Navi Mumbai. “This was back in 1964, when the municipal council had put out a plan for the development of then Bombay,” shared architect Mustansir Dalvi (right), who authored Correa’s biography, Citizen Correa (2024).

Recalling instances of Correa’s ideas that assimilated culture and context into design, Dalvi explained, “He always had the idea that architecture in India should be a product of climate, context and culture. In Kanchanjunga, he tried to create a series of apartment blocks into which natural light and air flowed. The interesting shape of the structure is a product of the terraces created; a part of his vision to give every inhabitant ‘a piece of the sky.’ You will be hard pressed to find that today.” Mumbai could do with many Correas today.

Natural inks

An art work by Nidhi Choudhari

IAS officers Nidhi Choudhari (inset) (Maharashtra cadre) and Rajanvir Kapur (West Bengal) cadre seek to change the perception of the bureaucracy with their twin-solo exhibition, Whispers of the Woods, that opens at the Jehangir Art Gallery today. “We are batchmates, and at my exhibition in November 2024, Rajanvir offered to collaborate. We have very different styles, and so, coming together brings a visually interesting mix,” Choudhari shared. The 60 art works on display centre on the idea of nature as core to civilisation. While Choudhari draws on Indian myths to shape her portrayals, Kapur brings to the fore abstract elements of style from Aboriginal Australian to Japanese art.

Coffee on canvas

An artwork by Shahbaz Khan

What better combination than coffee with art? Mumbai’s artist Shahbaz Khan came up with the idea and executed it at a popular coffee shop in Fort. He shared, “I was out for a cup of coffee with my wife. While waiting for it to arrive, I picked up a tissue and started scribbling on it with a pen, and putting down ideas for a new artwork. It struck me that a combination of art and coffee will be great. That’s when I decided to work on the idea.”

Tango in Bali

Kruti Gandhi Sarda performs with Augustin Miguele at a previous showcase. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Not everyone heads to Indonesia for a holiday. Kruti Gandhi Sarda set a record of sorts by becoming the first Indian to finish on the podium of the Indonesia Tango Championship Preliminaries last Friday. The Mumbai-based dancer finished third, “This is one of the affiliations to the World Tango competition that is open to Asians, and thereby India. I competed in the social tango category, where you change partners as you go. I was among five Indians in the competition. However, to win a podium position at the championship was quite a delight,” the dancer told this diarist.

Preserving the past

Dr Sophie Lewinchamp guides participants at a workshop. Pic Courtesy/FHF

Come July, and Mumbai is the place to be for those interested in the classics. The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) will join hands with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), with support from the Australian Consulate, to host a three-day workshop on film, paper and photo conservation starting July 16. Led by Dr Sophie Lewincamp, head of conservation and collection management, NFSA and Ashley Manning, audio-visual conservation coordinator, NFSA, the workshops will focus on educating a new generation of conservationists, shared Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder, FHF. “In addition to the workshops, we will also be screening PJ Hogan’s Muriel’s Wedding (1994) and Peter Weir’s The Cars That Ate Paris (1974). It is part of our continued efforts to work and train with people dedicated to film and photo conservation,” he added.