From Fort to Frenzy: Mumbai's Epic Journey Through Time

Bombay, which is now officially called Mumbai, is one of the largest cities in India. It started as seven small islands, but over hundreds of years, these islands were joined together to create the city we know today. Many different groups of people have shaped Bombay, including the Koli fisherfolk, British rulers, Bollywood stars, and textile business owners. Each group has left its mark on the city, making it a place full of history and change. Bombay is always evolving, with old things making way for new ones. Fishing nets and trams have been replaced by ports, mills, and shopping malls. The city is always in motion, never staying the same for long.

A new exhibition called 'Bombay Framed' tells the story of how the city has changed over the centuries. The exhibition features more than 100 images, including paintings, photographs, and multimedia prints. These works of art show Bombay's diversity, from the lives of wealthy Zoroastrian merchants and movie stars to the everyday experiences of working-class people. The exhibition's curator, Gyan Prakash, says that all these images together help us see Bombay as a kind of artwork itself—complex, layered, and made up of many different experiences. Some of the images show old maps that reveal how the city grew, while others show important moments like the building of Marine Drive or the tearing down of the old fort walls.

Bombay is a city of contrasts. There are luxury towers next to crowded slums, and the busy city streets are surrounded by the calm sea. The city has ancient caves as well as modern science centers like the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The exhibition also highlights the people who have made Bombay what it is, from Parsi philanthropists and Maharashtrian nobility to mill workers and migrants. There are portraits of Parsi elites, sketches of fish sellers, and vintage Bollywood film posters. The city's name was changed from Bombay to Mumbai in the 1990s to move away from its colonial past, but many people still use both names. The exhibition uses 'Bombay' because most of the images are from when the city was called that. Bombay is a city with many names, many faces, and a long history of change.