Making Mumbai Multi-Coloured

Asalpha SlumsChal Rang De

“Mogambo nakhush hua,” reads a wall outside Sakinaka Police Station — a legendary dialogue (albeit with an apt twist, once you catch up to this story), that became synonymous with Bollywood legend Amrish Puri due to his role in Mr. India (1987). As one strolls past the now radiant walls of the Sakinaka Police station, running amok with colour themed around Bollywood’s many villains, it often leads to the question, “But why?”

Go back to that moment. The moment before you questioned this particular riot of hues. Were you amused, even for the slightest second? Did it not hit you with a wave of welcomed nostalgia? Perhaps it helped distract you from the otherwise abstract art left behind on every other unfortunate wall that only sees the familiar red-maroon tones of the common man’s paan stains. Or maybe, it was simply out of the good of an organization’s heart, to help ease the minds of those who often fear walking past the daunting walls of a police station for help.

Frankly, it could be all of the above. But we want to give credit where credit is due, which is how we came across Chal Rang De, an initiative that wants to make Mumbai gorgeous again, quote unquote. We’ve all heard of the initiative who took to the Asalpha Slums, breathing new life within the very hills of the otherwise dreary slums. Although their motives were questioned at first, by the very inhabitants of the slums as well as by spectators, they continued to work towards their goal; to simply colour.

“We were questioned continuously about the logic behind our plan, or our motives. People assumed we had some kind of political agenda too, but in all honestly, we just wanted to spread the joy of colours. Once the people residing within the slums realised we were here to help in our own little way, they were more than welcoming! In fact, you’d be surprised at how clean it actually is, or how kind they are — they constantly tried to feed us too, with whatever they had,” laughs Sumitro Sircar, the Communications Head of Chal Rang De.

Chal Rang De is the brainchild of Dedeepya Reddy, who firmly states on their website, “A world without colors is a sad place to be in. Life can be tough, challenging. What is the least I can do? And I decided to color. Color the community, color the hill, color the entire area. Color has the power to create change. Some would say what difference can a color make? I believe it gives them a sense of joy, an identity and hope that things are going to be okay. Small changes together can make a huge impact.”

Post the makeover of Asalpha slums, they were approached by the Senior Inspector they first obtained permission from for the project, who was really excited. “He asked us why he couldn’t be a part of it, to which we said they definitely could be. They organized the paints and brushes for us so all we had to do was go there and paint. It took us five days, since we were doing proper murals,” says Sumitro.

In the future, Chal Rang De aims to continue working on more projects that will help eradicate the preconceived negative notions about certain spaces like hospitals, jails, police stations and slums. If you’re interested in volunteering to spread cheer through art around the city, stay updated on their future events via Facebook, Instagram or their website.