Serena Vora is only 34, but her knowledge of Art Deco is fascinating. As we stand outside the iconic Sea Green Hotel, overlooking the Arabian Sea, she points to the round corners and streamlined designs of the structure that characterise the Art Deco style. We are then taken to the neighbouring Soona Mahal, which houses Pizza By The Bay. She speaks of the intricate patterns on its windows and the circular design of the penthouse. This skill, Serena reckons, she gets from her great grandfather, Maganlal Vora. Unfortunately, she never met him, as he passed when she was only a few years old. But she is thankful to the legacy that he has left behind for her and the family's many next generations to see — Mumbai's iconic Art Deco buildings.

Serena's journey to finding the genius of her great grandfather goes back 13 years. The US citizen shares, "While I was born in California, both my parents are originally from Mumbai; so we always visited the city during the summers to meet our extended family. When I graduated in business administration, I thought interning with a company in Mumbai would be the safest option as I knew people here. While the plan was to stay here only for six months in 2006, the internship with a magazine turned into a full-time job and I never left the city."