Worli traffic island gets a 'cutting' decor

The typically Mumbai way of ordering a half cup of tea the lsquocuttingrsquo chai has been captured at a Worli traffic island The installation art of Mumbaikarsrsquo favourite pickmeup beverage is placed near Sasmira College and the old passport office and diagonally opposite the defunct Satyam Sachinam Sundaram cinema complexThe artThe traffic island garden which sees heavy traffic going to North and South Mumbai now hosts a 10foothigh installation of two hands each holding a glass of lsquocutting chairsquo It is a Kodak moment ideal for cell phones or simply the camera of your mind as it is a fun eyecatching scene amid the grey lsquonrsquo glass buildings all aroundThe lifebloodlsquoCutting chai a drink unique to Mumbai holds a very special place in the heart of the city and its inhabitants Literally translating to cutting a portion of tea into half it is a smaller but punchier dose of chai thatrsquos perfect for the busy citydweller on the go be it office colleagues bonding during breaks or strangers over politics and weather Mumbairsquos cutting chai is akin to the cityrsquos lifebloodrsquo This is what the explanatory plaque at the site of the city beautification initiative by the RPG Art Foundation and the BMC statesThe levellerArtist Sheetal Gattani a Colaba resident who conceptualised and created this work said ldquoThe only brief given to me was to create a public sculpture that is indicative of Mumbai I started work in mid2021 and the design was approved and finalised at one gordquo She explained ldquoI thought of cutting chai because of course it is quintessentially Mumbai More than that I believe it is more than chai it is a great equaliser It is had by labourers working professionals looking for a lsquochai shotrsquo during the weekday and the rich too It is a great leveller to be had at your favourite or regular lsquotaprirsquo The hands holding the cups in this 10foothigh 13footwide installation are painted blue and green because I noticed these are the colours of the serving stand used most commonly at the lsquotaprisrsquo Personally too I like to drink my chai this way on the streets when I am out rather than at fancyschmancy hotelsrdquoFew secondsA look at the art work shows both the glasses are cut into half the artist has taken the lsquocuttingrsquo concept literally They seem to jump out of that space ldquosince drivers have a few seconds to lookrdquo said Gattani ldquoThis is a traffic dense spot you need to have a work that captures attention immediately one cannot have too many layersrdquo said Gattani an abstract artist The JJ School of Art alumnus who believes that ldquoduring the COVID19 pandemic we have seen a significant uptick in art on city walls and infrastructure literally bringing the colour into livesrdquoSachin Mahajan BMC subengineer from GSouth ward said ldquoTea is an intrinsic part of the city In fact we notice a real tea boom right now everywhere This is an offshoot of the very basic concept of chai and especially lsquocuttingrsquo that Mumbaikars are born and brought up with In this way the art project is rooted in realismrdquoExperience artThe RPG Foundation said it aims to fulfil its objective to ldquosupport promote and encourage Indian art in various formsrdquo The city becomes a canvas for artists and their work A spokesperson explained that they have installations like ldquothe waves at Bandra the dabbawalla at Haji Ali a cameraman at the Mehboob Studio tetrapod at Worli and Baby Head at Nariman Point with the artworks giving both locals and tourists a way to experience Mumbairdquo