Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, the lady who transformed Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum into a thriving venue for arts

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is synonymous with the 144-year-old Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL). Other monikers for the museum's managing trustee and honorary director, by those who've worked with her are 'iron lady' and 'taskmaster'.

However, Mumbai's only city museum to win the UNESCO 2005 Asia Pacific Award of Excellence, one of her many accolades, is evidence that the 62-year-old gets things done. Even if she invites controversies, of which there've been no dearth. She recently came under fire by the civic body when corporators alleged that Mehta planned to convert the existing playground into a parking lot as part of the museum's expansion plan. They've also contended in the past that she hasn't presented museum audits since 2003, has perhaps siphoned funds, and that hosting the Lakme Fashion Show inside the museum is against 'Indian culture' and that she should instead promote skits, lavani, koli and other folk dances.

Mehta's methods are so alien to the establishment that 227, perhaps otherwise-warring corporators, have come together to see her out of BDL and terminate a 2003 tripartite agreement between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH) and Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation for the museum's management. This has resulted in the BMC sending her a six-month notice this year – against established procedure. "We're not saying she's not run the museum properly. She's done a good job, but BDL is not her private property," fumes corporator and MNS members Sandeep Deshpande. "She is just a caretaker.

But she is still here (despite the notice). She's got contacts with those on Page 3 and they support her," adds Deshpande, who says he has an MA in Political Science, done Marathi skits in college and owns a company that manufactures pillows.

Mehta clarifies that she's not on a notice period but in a strong legal arrangement that keeps her put till 2023. "I've been doing everything according to the rule book." Her status makes Desphande appear stuck in a time warp, older than some of the museum exhibits. Copies of accounts submitted to and stamped by the BMC make their way to this writer's mailbox in no time. Mehta denies that a parking lot is planned and is perturbed by allegations about financial fiddling.

"I've spent 15 years doing pro bono work. I don't take money for petrol, telephone or any other allowance. My husband was chairman of a multinational, so I am very fortunate," she says. "Besides, I raise money from the Bajaj family. Mukesh Ambani gives us substantial support. We've maintained the ticket price at Rs10 for the last 13 years even though the Corporation has been wanting us to raise it. If I need money, I can start an art consultancy. As an educated woman from a privileged background, I'm an easy target."

Visionary with a Midas touch 

BDL revived the art scene after its 2008 relaunch. Mehta roped in contemporary artists such as Jitish and Reena Kallat, Atul Dodiya, Thukral and Tagra, Valay Shende, etc to showcase their works alongside museum exhibits, a trend that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya has since emulated. Memorable shows include Reena Kallat's cobweb of sarkari stamps on the museum's facade of anglicised street names replaced by indigenous ones and Thukral and Tagra's interactive games of wrestling, trampoline and cards that visitors could play, among others. The space now thrives as a venue for workshops, talks, lectures, craft melas, book sales and even a diploma course on Modern and Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practice. "Tasneem has assigned so much relevance and credibility to the museum that the best artists have lined up to show their work at BDL," says Jyotindra Jain, Indian art and culture historian and museologist.

Mehta says this is a worthwhile vision. "I'm trying to take everyone along, convincing them that this vision benefits everybody, including the BMC corporators." To this end, she's also trained her staff, who she refers to as "my kids", to be particular about interacting with guests as well as about writing emails. "(Assistant curators) Puja Vaish just represented the museum in the US and Himanshu Kadam went to the V&A for training. I encourage the staff to do things on their own, but I treat it like a business. If you don't make that sale, i.e. bring in the audience, what's the point of the energy and effort?" Salesmanship is what she picked up on her first job — a three-year stint at Bloomingdales, New York.

Vaish, an alumni of Baroda's MS University, who has taught at the Delhi College of Art and Kamala Raheja before coming to BDL, points out that ideas such as the Movies@Museum or screening artist movies, which would typically have a long conception-to-execution time at other places, have been executed at BDL in no time. "Mehta is a visionary, and ambitious for the museum. She has put together an amazing team," says 32-year-old Vaish.

Thirty-year-old Kadam feels his work here will better prepare him for a doctorate on the city overseas, a life's goal which materialised courtesy Ms Mehta. She exudes true professionalism because he hasn't ever seen her shaken or stirred. "We only see her as this level-headed, strong, focused woman who wants to get things done in a specific format."

Bohemian, perfectionist, argumentative

Writer and columnist Shobhaa De has been privy to Mehta's life, thanks to their four decade friendship. "The New York Tasneem was more bohemian," reveals De. "Today, I see her as a sedate Lady of the Arts, speaking elegantly about her passion — museums. I miss the 'other' Tasneem, though I do catch a few glimpses in her rare, unguarded moments."

De refers to Mehta as 'steel magnolia' — tough when required, sentimental at times and as beautiful as an intoxicating flower. "She has created a jewel of a museum against daunting odds."

Persistence is second nature to Mehta. When she set out to refurbish the BDL plaza and its two cottages for the Guggenheim show in 2012, the civic administration didn't approve. Mehta invited the then-municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar for a personal tour, and put forth her suggestion. The approval came through the following morning. Within a month, an additional gallery, an educational centre, a gift shop, a café and toilets were in place for the show.

But perfection can create conflict. Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari and co-conveyor of INTACH, who partners with Mehta on restoration projects, says their arguments are notorious. "Ask the museum staff (about our arguments)," he laughs, recalling that every phase of the museum's restoration saw a clash of the titans, especially the one over air-conditioning the space 24x7 as per international standards. These tiffs, he says, are not embittered by ego, but intense personalities. "This is why many of my best projects have been with her," concedes Dilawari.

It's Mehta's disciplinarian way that keeps the place going, feels gallery attendant Sachin S Pawar. "I wore a six-pocket, three-fourth pair of shorts on my first day and got an earful," says Pawar. "Our uniforms were not ready, but I was expected to dress formal. She's also inculcated in us the habit of keeping our hands clean and nails clipped while we dust the exhibits. And no chit-chat." At home, he's begun to store old utensils and laminates old photographs and uses butter paper as separators. "Ma'am encourages us to study the objects. It feels nice to learn about the objects that I used to only clean."

Little notebooks and a phone planner are Mehta's tools to keep track of schedules that are planned 6-8 months in advance. "I never get time to shop or get my sari blouses tailored," she laments. Morning walks three times a week at the BPT garden is how she de-stresses, and spends Sundays holed up, reading. "I'm very spiritual. Being a good human being is the only thing that matters."

On familial ground

Mehta grew up in a politically-active family. Her father, Dr Rafiq Zakaria, was Maulana Azad's secretary and a representative from the Aurangabad constituency. She recalls extensive travels around the country. "I loved going on campaigns with my father in the jeep and shouting slogans like 'Vote for Congress!' Those days gave me a clear sense of national pride."

Mehta spent her childhood drawing and painting and being a go-getter came naturally. "I always came first in art at Cathedral & John Connon School and graduated in Fine Arts from JJ School of Arts," she says. She followed this with a Masters in Liberal Arts at New York's Columbia University. "My father was liberal. I married a Hindu and the only thing he told me was, 'Couldn't you find a good Muslim boy'? But he loved my husband Vikram, although the Hindu-Muslim bit wasn't a cakewalk for either of us." The secret to her 33-year-old marriage, says Mehta, is giving space and sharing interests. The couple's two daughters study abroad — Malika, 27, is pursuing public policy at Harvard and 21-year-old Ahilya is at Wellesley College. When they are in town, Mehta hyperventilates if they wear shorts or hail taxis at night. "We have fights about that. They think I'm being conservative," shares Mehta.

She admits she can do with reserves of patience. "Having a high standard of excellence can be challenging for others. I can lose my cool with non-performance. Also, I take criticism to heart." Another scope for improvement: being challenged when it comes to technology. "My children tell me I'm Jurassic with technology!"