Reimagining Pune’s Oldest Market, Bohri Ali, In A Splash Of Colours

Walking down old streets of Pune, it is not uncommon to view drab, lifeless buildings. While there are a few buildings that are ornate and rustic in their beauty, there are only a few that bring across a pop of colour to these streets. Now, the colour palette on these streets is slowly expanding as artists Alefiya Kachwala and Annushka Hardikar, with their army of artists, change the streets of Bohri Aali in Raviwar Peth, one shutter at a time.

Taking a walk down memory lane now has a whole new meaning in Bohri Ali, Ravivar Peth. One of the oldest markets in the city now has brightly painted shutters that showcase the rich heritage of the old city. The collaborative street art project is being led by ‘A Fresh Coat,’ a group of young artists who are using the shutters as a canvas to share stories and the history of old vintage shops. The project was conceived by Alefiya Kachwalla, a liberal arts graduate and co-founder of A Fresh Coat. She noticed the rich heritage of the area while working at her father’s shop, King’s Stationery store.

“When people think of the Peth areas, they just see them as crowded and noisy, but each shop has its own story to tell, and we didn’t want that legacy to be forgotten,” says Kachwalla.

Co-founder of A Fresh Coat, illustrator Annushka Hardikar adds, “We started visiting shopkeepers to know what stories they want to showcase about their shop.” The team has painted 20 shutters so far.

“We want artists who work with us to get the recognition they deserve. In phase two, we hope to experiment more,” says Kachwalla. The team has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to take the project to different cities and cover their basic expenses.

“We want this to be a place where people can just walk around to witness the culture and true essence of Pune,” says Hardikar.

This article has been written by one of the students of Pearl Academy for a collaborative project with Homegrown.

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