Ranjit Dahiya: Decorating Walls in the City of Dreams

Abstract

Several years ago, while riding in the back of a yellow and black taxi from the airport into central Mumbai, my attention was caught by a burst of color in the skyline and a gigantic mural adorning the façade of the MTNL building. An image of someone famous that I was unfamiliar with, but was clearly important enough to be what the driver told me was the country’s largest mural at 20,000 sq.

That was in 2014, before India’s election of India’s populist leader, and since then (although unrelated), Indian cities have exploded with assorted wall painting projects, festivals and initiatives. These are often acts of political appeasement and propaganda, sometimes grassroots community and civic initiatives, and always gentle reminders about hidden infrastructure, including politics.