Pockets and boroughs of the city need to grow into vibrant cultural islands to become a greater whole
Of late, we've been noticing that a few precincts and neighbourhoods, particularly in SoBo, have been in the news. Kalaghoda is being looked at with the intent to reinvent its character and make it a lively space for the arts. Proposals are being mooted by all and sundry, keen to get a slice of this coveted pie.
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Ballard Estate will once again play host to a weekend festival, and the buzz around it has already begun. Press notes, bigger artiste playlists and more dhamaka, essentially. On paper, both initiatives sound promising with immense possibilities to offer engaging experiential options for city folk and tourists. The idea to breathe new life into Kalaghoda will, if executed effectively and with the right people at the helm, be a godsend. Most recently, we heard how experts were keen for Kalaghoda to be made a no-vehicle zone for some part of the day, or on weekends.
Images of a panoramic vista that greeted us at Pondicherry's Promenade Road at sunset came to mind. It was a sight that would make any metro dweller envious. As a stiff breeze blew in from the Bay of Bengal, we walked down a squeaky clean wide, tree-lined road that was shut to vehicular traffic. Only the odd bicycle or ice-cream tricycle could be spotted, as kids gleefully skipped on the road while their parents watched from a safe distance. Now, imagine the same sight, well almost, being played out at Kalaghoda. With no fear of being run over by speeding buses and kaali-peelis, one can have carefree walks, stopping to stare at David Sassoon's roundel on the outer façade of the library and reading room named after him or listen to a wayside artiste strum soulful notes on his guitar without being lost in the din of blaring car horns.
A few hundred metres away, at Ballard Estate, the planned business district was brought to life last year, when it played host to a weekend festival. We sat up in our chairs to check how this would turn out, especially since the venue offered wonderful opportunities. Our antennae were tuned even more when we heard that a smorgasbord of events were lined up – from food and drink to live acts and loads of pop-ups. After the initial hype, there was a petering down, however.
Visitors were left disappointed, there no-shows, and we noticed how there was zero initiative to celebrate the space, considering it boasts of a rich historic identity. There was no trace of walking trails that would have been a great way to actually make the visitor aware of this side to SoBo. Now, as the second edition kicks off shortly, we are hoping for a better cultural itinerary befitting of the precinct. If these two ambitious ideas take off according to plan and importantly, are allowed to thrive and sustain themselves, it will mean that change is possible, even if it's just the average neighbourhood festival. Small can be big, sometimes.
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 Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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