How community-driven Bombay Underground has been creating reading spaces

Updated On: 28 January, 2023 01:21 PM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto

Starting a counterculture long before the term ‘zines’ became popular in Mumbai, Himanshu and Aqui Thami, the duo currently running Bombay Underground delve into creating reading spaces, a zine culture and how appropriation plagues the unique craft today

Listen to this article :

Himanshu and a group of like-minded Mumbaikars started Bombay Underground in 1997 before Aqui Thami joined him a little over 10 years ago. Photo Courtesy: Manjeet Thakur/Mid-day

When Himanshu started Bombay Underground in 1997 with other like-minded Mumbaikars at the time, he may have not imagined the extent of the spark that was lit with the movement that introduced city dwellers to art, reading and zines; a counter-culture of sorts that was still unheard of or not as popular in Mumbai at the time. Over the years as life happened and many of the founding members moved away, the Mumbaikar kept at it. Since then, he has converted many areas of the city into community art spaces, one of the most popular being the Dharavi Art Room in the heart of what is considered to be one of the world`s largest slums and happens to find a home in the maximum city.

He shares, “Bombay Underground started close to 20 years ago working with activist groups, community groups, then slowly setting up spaces around with resources as books, so children could come and make leaflets, pamphlets, booklets and zine.” Himanshu is one of two people currently running Bombay Underground; the other being Aqui Thami, a city-based artist who also started a feminist library called Sister Library in Bandra in 2019.

Buy now to read the full story.

For just ₹/-

Already a member? Login

For any queries please contact us: E-mail: support@mid-day.com

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

;

Home / Lifestyle / Culture / Article / How community-driven Bombay Underground has been creating reading spaces