A commerce graduate from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Kumar spent over a decade with the Tatas before establishing his own financial advisory firm. “But I couldn’t imagine doing just that for the rest of my life.” He insists there wasn’t one building or a single moment where the idea struck him. Perhaps it was the early habit of preserving photographs that turned into a passion for preserving neighbourhoods? It first showed up in the years he spent engaging with the government, encouraging it to formulate policies to protect Mumbai’s old neighbourhoods. His idealism was soon subdued by endless meetings and project reports that didn’t result in much.
Chrysler building and Empire State building miniatures, and a photo of journalist Margaret Bourke-White atop the gargoyle on Chrysler building, at the Art Deco Mumbai Trust (ADMT) officeHarshita Nayyar
Then one blistering afternoon in the summer of 2016, melting with heat and frustration, he mused, “Why don’t we just talk to people who live in these neighbour hoods? Mumbai hasn’t been built by the state. So why are we expecting the state to do something?” Kumar’s Art Deco Mumbai Trust (ADMT) was born with an Instagram post on the makeover of Marine Drive. He began to engage with residents from across the city, waking them up to a heritage that was right under their noses.
Kumar is deeply inspired by visionaries like Kamu Iyer, Charles Correa and Vikas Dilawari for their work in shaping the city. But it was the simplicity of art deco that stole his heart. “I was fascinated by the pervasiveness of the style. You see a few neoclassical structures around town; maybe seven prominent Gothic properties… but then, what is everything else? And why isn’t anyone talking about them?” This curiosity took him deeper down the deco rabbit hole. The more he looked, the more he found—at the Oval, in Colaba, Crawford Market, Mohammed Ali Road, Dadar, Matunga…
The “Deco in Blue” notebook from the ADMT online store.Harshita Nayyar
