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ShareMumbai: Located in the posh area of South Mumbai, it stands abandoned and deserted. If you happen to go there, the structure of Mukesh Mills (one of the first textile mill built by the British in India in the 1870's) facing the sea at Colaba, might spook you out, but it has always inspired hundreds of film-makers and photographers to imagine and weave their own stories around it.
Pallon Daruwala, a Bangalore based architectural photographer has been very fascinated with Mukesh Mills since decades. In his upcoming exhibition 'A Mill by the sea,' he has captured the changing beauty of the dilapidated structure working with spaces and light and bringing out the minute details. "I developed a fascination for this place in the early 1990s.
The beauty of this structure lies in it forever transformation. I like coming back to Mukesh Mills because its beauty is not preserved like historical buildings such as Taj Mahal. So, every two to three years it has a new look to offer," says Pallon.
The 1991 hit film Hum starring Amitabh Bachchan was one of the first commercial films to use the Mukesh Mills coumpound extensively. After that the location has been used for many fashion shoots, music videos, etc. Incidentally, the entire crew of Hum has to wait for a few days before they could book the compound because Pallon was on with one of his photography projects during those days.
Walking through the mill, the lonely alley ways, large sheds and roofless structures make your imagination go back on what this place must have been like once housed with heavy machines. Pallon has brought out the less obvious facets and highlighted the sophistication and beauty of building.
