A fisherwoman stares at the traffic, plump flamingoes wade through a creek as Adivasis dance by the shore, a policeman stands guard and a dabbawalla walks past a Metro. The scene plays out on an expansive 1000-feet mural on the compound wall of Ismail Yusuf College in Jogeshwari East. Competing with hoardings and advertisements along the route, it comes into view as one travels up the Western Express Highway.
Abhishek Kumar Singh, 45, who conceptualised and designed this mural under the label of his agency, Curves and Colours, says, “There are lots of things in Mumbai, its culture and history, that even Mumbai people don’t get a chance to see.” Singh was commissioned to paint the mural following a tender from the PWD.
He said he met with civic officials and MLA Ravindra Waikar to propose a mural that shows “what makes a city a city”. He says, “A city is not just its architecture but also its heroes, policy makers, its biodiversity.”
The mural, named ‘Wall of Progress’ by PWD, was made in two phases from late 2019 to early 2020. After the first phase was over, an “I love Jogeshwari” sign was added to the mural site. Singh gathered a team of 20 to paint the mural, headed by artists Nileem Mahant, Ruchin Soni and Harshad Mumbaikar. Made with weatherproof exterior paint, the mural has the appeal of vintage Bollywood posters, especially a section that shows actor Amitabh Bachchan in his iconic role in Coolie.
Patna-born Singh, who previously worked as an art director and assisted in films such as ‘Life in a Metro’ and ‘Johnny Gaddaar’, graduated in fine arts from MS University, Baroda. He came to Mumbai soon after. Living in Andheri West, he had seen this wall often enough in his travels through the city and felt it would be a great canvas for visibility of both public art and his own design.
The mural shows leaders associated with Maharashtra, such as Bal Thackeray, B R Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule. Cultural landmarks such as the Gateway of India and educational institutions such as the Mumbai University are also presented here. A part of the mural also pays homage to the Ismail Yusuf College.
The mural begins with a large section dedicated to the city’s pluralistic culture and the many faiths that are followed here. It was made in the second phase of the project. Mount Mary Church, Haji Ali Dargah and a Ganpati procession feature here too. Singh said that he was thinking about European Renaissance murals, where celestial figures were often on the ceilings and mortals were painted below.
The mural offers some visual relief during the daily commute, especially since a dense cover of greenery rises above the wall. Like its muse, this painted city has a number of elements that Singh believes “will be a new experience every time for people who see it every day”.