Mumbai through doors

It probably started the day someone broke into my apartment and stole my computer and hard drives I lost most of the memories Irsquod collected over the yearsrdquo says photographer Kuber Shah when asked how he began documenting Mumbairsquos heritage architectureWhen he returned to the city in 2014 after living overseas for 14 years he was saddened to see the cityrsquos architectural landscape rapidly change and disintegrate amidst modern redevelopments ldquoI noticed that several buildings bungalows and many other structures had suddenly disappeared or were lost behind imposing bridges and hanging wiresrdquoWhat curiously started as a hobby project on Instagram called Doors of Mumbaimdashphotographs of unique faccedilades and entrances of old buildingsmdashhas become an insight into the details and layers of each structure and stories that may soon be forgotten After accumulating a collection of pictures over the past decademdashranging from heritage districts in South Mumbai to the gullies of Bandra and Dadar Parsi ColonymdashShahrsquos body of work is being displayed this month at Kathiwada City House in a show titled Space Structure Storey ldquoI always try to click anything I can each time I pass by an old building or home Each photograph is a tangible statement to make people aware of what Bombay was and how we have lost good design over timerdquo he lamentsKuber ShahGaining prominence after World War I the Art Deco style is characterised by sleek geometric lines paired with bold vibrant colours evolved as a design to provide maximum style at minimum cost It gained popularity in the city through the 1930s and the 1940s when Bombay was seeking a certain modernity in architecture Sharp zigzag strokes with angular forms and bold ornamental fonts playfully arranged in an unfussy manner broke away from more stoic rigid designs of the pastldquoThe exhibition starts with a series of photographs of Liberty Cinema which also marks the decline or end of Art Deco architecture as well as design of this size and calibrerdquo Shah points out ldquoIt then moves on to a filmnoir inspired blackandwhite series of intricately designed nooks and corners of the theatre which will remind a viewer of the golden era of Indian cinemardquo Since staircases played a pivotal role in traditional theatres connecting the floors for the stalls to the balcony and dress circle upstairsmdashtherersquos also a complementing series of stairways and the Art Deco buildings they are housed inldquoOver the years Irsquove learnt to photograph the city in a certain way to create an archive that will perhaps one day be a reminder of what the city once was along with its many layers of metamorphosis Irsquove discovered a lot about design furniture and heritage preservation but most significantly imagining the vision that was behind some of our iconic buildingsrdquo Shah describes While he says his documentation of the city will never be complete hersquos eyeing a new series on Art Deco signages and building names in the near futureWHAT Space Structure Storey by photographer Kuber ShahWHERE Kathiwada City House 69 Sir Pochkhanawala Road WorliWHEN Till September 18 11 AM to 7 PMCALL 9372859864