The first time I wandered down Chapel Road, I felt like I'd stumbled into Bandra's secret art gallery. This narrow lane, with its old Goan houses and peeling paint, is a world away from Mumbai's chaos. It's where the suburb's artistic soul truly comes alive.
A wall right across Subko Café showcases murals of two-three legendary Bollywood Actors to pay tribute to them. There’s the yesteryear famous Actor Dev Anand’s iconic smile; Madhubala’s dancing moves that will definitely make your heart skip a beat; and a Sridevi mural that brings her back to life. The Bollywood Art Project is behind all these cinematic tributes that has made Chapel Road so colourful with larger-than-life portraits of film legends.
One mural that always makes my heart skip a beat is a tribute to Irrfan Khan. I won’t lie but it definitely feels bittersweet considering the void the passing away of this incredible talent has left in Cinema in India and beyond. Seeing him come to life through the mural definitely makes people stop and pay their respect to him.
But it's not all filmi glitz. The street art here tells stories of everyday Mumbai life too. I love this cheeky mural of a packed local train - it never fails to make me chuckle and nod in recognition. What intrigues me about Chapel Road is how the art blends with the area's history. These narrow lanes have been here for centuries, part of the old Christian Gaothan. You can still see hints of Portuguese influence in the architecture, a reminder of Bandra's colonial past. The lane is also home to Christian families that left Goa and shifted to Mumbai in the 1900s. You can see vivid hues of the rainbows as painted houses all across. It’s like Mini-Goa.
Chapel Road also feels like a treasure hunt of sorts. Either some new café or a fresh mural is tucked away in a corner. Once, I came across an art walk which ended in a fluid art workshop in a paint gallery in the region. Bandra’s art is not just about these pretty murals on walls. It’s a part of the history of the area; living, breathing and putting life in every aspect of the average Mumbaikar. The average Mumbaikar who never stops dreaming, reinventing and is always tied to his/her roots.
So next time you are in Bandra, shopping around Hill Road or devouring your favourite food, let art surprise you with Chapel Road. Who knows? You might just fall in love with this little slice of Mumbai that offers life beyond the hustle bustle of the city.
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