In his 1991 travelogue, India: A Million Mutinies Now, the Trinidadian-born British-Indian writer V.S. Naipaul wrote: “Bombay continued to define itself: Bombay flats on either side of the road now, concrete buildings mildewed at their upper levels by the Bombay weather, excessive sun, excessive rain, excessive heat; grimy at the lower levels, as if from the crowds at pavement level, and as if that human grime was working its way up, tide-mark by tide-mark, to meet the mildew.”
It was a portrait of the city Naipaul saw at the turn of the twenty-first century. 35 years later, Mumbai has changed and Mumbai has remained the same. At once, it has been as thoroughly Westernised as an Indian city can be, and at the same time, it has remained undeniably Indian. Equally modern and old, progressive and conservative, flamboyant and restrained, Mumbai continues to defy and define itself again and again.
Architect-designer and Material Immaterial Studio co-founder Nitin Jain's sculptural mural ‘Ode to South Mumbai’, too, is an important portrait of Mumbai. Installed at The Imperial Towers — which were for a time India's tallest buildings — the sculptural mural captures the ever-evolving identity of South Mumbai with a special focus on Tardeo Road which extends from from Nana Chowk to Haji Ali Junction. Once a commercial district of offices and warehouses, Tardeo is now one of Asia's most expensive residential areas.
Jain's mural traces this trajectory of this rapid urbanisation using a powerful combination of corten steel, brass, concrete, and enamel paint — materials intentionally chosen for their connection to real estate construction and urban permanence. Through the layered symbolism of these materials and sculptural details, ‘Ode to South Mumbai’ reinterprets the district's story of contrast, ambition, and constant reinvention using a range of techniques including casting, bending, and laser cutting. And in doing so, it also captures the ever-evolving story and a material echo of Mumbai — the very city it reflects.
Located at The Imperial Towers, the mural is more than a commemorative artwork — it is a vision statement that embraces the tension between tradition and transformation and reimagines Tardeo not as a place caught between two eras, but as a bridge uniting them.
‘Ode to South Mumbai’ is open for public viewing on an RSVP basis until Sunday, 15 June 2025, at The Imperial Towers in Tardeo.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
Reya Ahmed's Art Brings Distinctly South Asian Aesthetics To Contemporary Visual Culture
An Art Lover's Guide To Bandra's Iconic Chapel Road
Radhika Sanghvi's Sculptures Are A Conversation Between Form, Light, and Feeling