National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, Kala
Ghoda Association, and
Avid Learning present Uncovering Urban Legacies: Icons of Bombay –
Gates, Libraries, and Film Posters.
Literary
halls, cinema art, and ceremonial arches, these markers of knowledge,
entertainment, and passage, reveal how the city negotiates with its
environment, nurtures its cultural life, and connects to its history. After
exploring Bombay’s diasporic communities and historic precincts, we return with
the fifth episode of our Icons series.
From the historic Asiatic Society to the
smaller neighbourhood reading rooms and public institutions, libraries have
long served as centres of knowledge and learning. Even as digital media reshapes how we access
information, these institutions continue to symbolize intellectual heritage.
Film posters, once plastered across theatre walls, lampposts, and billboards,
brought the magic of cinema to the streets. These works of popular art also
mirrored the people’s evolving tastes and aspirations. The city’s gates, from
the long-demolished Apollo and Bazaar Gates of the old Fort to the naval
dockyard entrances and the enduring Gateway of India, tell the story of how
Bombay opened itself to the sea, to trade, and to the world.
Join us as we uncover three more city emblems, tracing their journeys through heritage, transformation, and contemporary relevance.
Rajan Jayakar is a distinguished advocate practicing at the Bombay High Court since 1971 and a solicitor since 1975. A passionate historian, heritage conservationist, and collector, he has held key positions in institutions like the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Kala Ghoda Association, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. He has authored books including Beautiful Bombay and Brief History of Pathare Prabhus and curated numerous landmark exhibitions on legal and cultural history. His personal collections span philately, vintage Bombay memorabilia, Shammi Kapoor artefacts, and more, earning national and international recognition, including Limca Book of Records and multiple medals at World Stamp Exhibitions. He has represented India as Philatelic Ambassador abroad. Notably, he set up the Bombay High Court Museum inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Currently, he is working on Legal Bombay and other coffee table books on Bombay’s rich cultural and legal heritage.
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Smruti Koppikar has spent over 35 years as a journalist in Mumbai, reporting and editing for some of India’s most respected publications including India Today, Outlook, The Indian Express, and The Hindustan Times. Her work has spanned politics, gender, ecology, and urban development, shaping conversations on how cities evolve and who they include. In 2022, she founded Question of Cities, India’s only independent journal dedicated to cities, climate change, and social equity. The publication has earned national and international recognition, with its work used in academic research and collaborations across South Asia. She teaches journalism and media studies at leading institutions such as Sophia’s, XIC, and NMIMS, and has mentored generations of young reporters. A founding member of the Dr. Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies and Advisor to PUKAR, Smruti continues to document how cities intersect with citizenship, gender, and the environment.
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Anita Rane-Kothare is the Head Associate Professor Department of Ancient Indian history culture and Archaeology, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, she has a deep interest and expertise in archeology, Indology, museology, ancient history, world history and analysis and cultural studies. I am the Vice chairman of Museum society of Mumbai. She is also the Vice Chairman of SRISHTI (Society for research in Imaging Sciences, Heritage and Technological Innovations, President of Bombay Local history society.
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Akshay Chavan is a writer, historian, and anthropologist with over two decades of experience exploring India’s rich heritage and cultural landscapes. A graduate of the University of Lancaster, UK, he further specialized in the anthropology of arts and crafts through the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) of Great Britain and Ireland. In 2017, he founded Live History India, a digital platform dedicated to bringing the stories of India’s history and culture to a wider audience. Over the years, he has authored more than 200 articles on Indian history, art, and culture—works that combine deep scholarly insight with a distinctive ability to make the past resonate with the present.
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