Art Deco is everywhere

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Sir PM was suitably dressed for the walking trail - sola hat, khakis and a crisp white linen shirt; Lady Flora was in her trademark whites with a Panama hat and sunglasses that made her look quite the sight - a cross between a Greco-Roman goddess and an American tourist. Both arrived on the dot at their designated meeting point - the parapet near a popular juice centre at Dadar's Shivaji Park. Dr Viegas was going to be their guide. The trio had planned a walkabout in the area on World Art Deco Day with Sir PM and Lady Flora. Ever since the duo had attended an exhibition that had created elaborate and well-researched displays of plans by some of India's finest architects who did justice to this architectural style, and where it showcased sites not just in SoBo but across most of the suburbs, they were curious to explore at least some of these parts and see it for themselves.

"How fabulous that you two could make it on a warm April evening," Dr Viegas welcomed his friends. Dressed in a bush shirt and chinos, he looked every bit the guide. "First of all, I hope you're carrying adequate water; we'll also have to forego our chai routine for sugarcane juice or nimbu paani. It's ideal for summer," he advised. "Let's start with this set of buildings," he began, as the trio crossed the road from Shivaji Park, making their way down a tree-lined alley. "Good to note that the pavements have survived," observed Sir PM and Lady Flora, as they held onto every word that Dr Viegas shared. "Do you know that the entire Dadar neighbourhood boasts of 198 Art Deco buildings, which is the maximum number of all Deco locations across the city and suburbs?" he revealed, much to their surprise. "And all this while, we imagined that SoBo wore that crown!" exclaimed Lady Flora. Please go on, Viegas…"

Dr Viegas took them through several lanes off Shivaji Park, and highlighted details as they passed by the façades of buildings that survived the test of time. Unknown to Pheroze and Flora, Viegas was a keen student of architecture and secretly took classes out of passion for the subject. By now, beads of perspiration were trickling down the temples of his friends. It was time for a water break. As they sipped on freshly-squeezed sugarcane juice and rested along the parapet that lined the famous ground, he continued, "Marathe and Kulkarni were one of the most important architectural firms whose works played a significant role in establishing this style across sections of Dadar, Matunga and Sion. Did you know they built Raj Kamal, the bungalow of noted filmmaker V Shantaram, right here in Dadar? They also designed Aurora Talkies, which is in ruin now," he shared, looking crestfallen as the words rolled out. "Oh, Viegas. That's awful. I recall my Dadar-based colleagues from the Bombay High Court speaking of wonderful Sunday evenings with the family at this single screen cinema," reminisced Sir PM.

Lady Flora added, "I believe the single screens that we have back in SoBo, got luckier. Some like Metro and now, Eros have become multiplexes. Sadly, New Empire and New Excelsior didn't survive. Here, while some buildings remain, others are in dire need of repair. But the eyesores are these monstrous glass towers that lord over this charming neighbourhood. Am I right to guess that the latter stands at sites that once housed similar Art Deco gems?"

Dr Viegas sighed, "They met their fate years ago; possibly their landlords didn't realise the need to preserve them in their original avatar, or were unaware of its historicity, as you both would have learnt when you attended that Art Deco exhibition. It is a critical issue here - I have been visiting these parts for years now, thanks to my wife's roots here, and each time I drop by there is another aberration in concrete that stares me in the face. I am afraid but in this mad race to own coveted apartment blocks in Dadar, we are losing out on the original character of this great neighbourhood that represented the highest standards of quality living for the middle-class citizen."

Sir PM added, "I hear how my friends in SoBo who fight for this cause and eventually earned the UNESCO World Heritage Site honour, find it tough to keep it going. Imagine how tough it must be for guardians in these parts? In fact, they had created a manual to assist landlords, residents and tenants to collectively restore the buildings in a sensitive manner and thus ensure its longevity. It's proving to be a phenomenal success in the buildings across Oval."

"If only these stunning marvels are able to survive. I hope landlords and parties concerned in these historic buildings try to implement similar measures, and stay united to protect these fine examples of the Art Deco style," wished Lady Flora. "These are living testimonies of the city's unique character, after all. When they are gone, so does a little part of the city..."

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

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