Mid-day 44th anniversary special: Meet Bandra’s arty aunty

Ayesha Parikh standing at the window of her gallery Art and Charlie in Bandra West. Pic/Ashish Raje

We spot Ayesha Parikh in the lane outside her Bandra gallery Art and Charlie sipping a mug of black tea. It is evident that she has carved a space of her own in the city, and we aren't speaking about the gallery. "I sit on the bench sometimes, but mostly at the balcony where I take my break," she says pointing to the protruding wooden structure on the gallery's first floor, and likening her habit to older folk sitting at windows and verandas watching the street. "I have become a Bandra aunty now, too," she laughs. Her life and routine are settled into the Pali neighbourhood, and you wouldn't think that she came to Mumbai only a few years ago. What brought Parikh here?

She starts her story at the beginning, telling us that a close friend recently reminded her about her school-time dream to have a career in the arts. Having spent a decade in London living the corporate life, Parikh always found herself drawn to art. "I couldn't shake this feeling that I belonged in the world of visual arts," she recalls, "In 2019, I was 32 years old, and thought I will never again have the same energy to shift careers later in life." In a now-or-never moment, she decided to leave her job in the UK and arrived at Mumbai's shores. Later that year, she launched Art and Charlie, with her first project curating a wall at The Bombay Canteen with artworks by contemporary artists across India.

Settled is a cushy word that undermines what it takes to make a new city home while building a career from scratch. "I am from Ahmedabad, so setting up in a new industry in Mumbai was very daunting," Parikh reveals, "The business aspects came easily to me given my background in consulting, but the art world works differently in some ways from traditional businesses. Relationships matter more, and I did not know anyone in the art world here, to begin with." She began with small steps, visiting gallery previews and Art Night Thursdays until she understood the art world in Mumbai and Delhi, and met artists she liked and people in the arts management space working with galleries or independently. "Looking back, that was the grind. Over three years later, I cannot believe I pulled it off without knowing anyone in the field. I remind myself every day that all you need is direction, time, some discipline and intention to achieve anything you want," she says.

The success of Art and Charlie lies in the fact that it has, through its presence and work, been ingrained into the fabric of the city; it isn't just the art lover who drops by, Parikh has ensured the gallery is a space for all those curious about culture and community, too.

Parikh explains that to her, as an outsider, the vastness of Mumbai offered a chance to lose herself in anonymity which helped her try on different hats to test the best fit. "For me, smaller cities feel like they pigeon-hole you into one box. I want freedom to grow, to meet different people, to learn about things I didn't even know that I don't know about," she chuckles before continuing, "In Mumbai, I have been a suited consultant, a starry-eyed 20-year-old, a gallerist, a woman in love and the finder of beautiful people. I have a curiosity-based disposition to life. And Mumbai, being the melting pot that it is, feeds this part of me very well even today. Mumbai gives me room to grow."

Mumbai meri jaan?

Love about Mumbai Its multiculturalism.

Hate about Mumbai The lack of green public spaces.
Expectations from Mumbai To make me feel at home, and like I belong.

Did Mumbai live up to your expectations? ‘Bombay' is home now.

Will it remain your home forever? For the foreseeable future, yes. Beyond that, I need a crystal ball.