The artist at the Kala Ghoda PCO

The government-sanctioned PCO sits on the side of the pavement, half-hidden by the surrounding tender-coconut, chai and sandwich-wallahs. Three phones, their wires twisted in mangled spirals sit on the counter for those few who travel without cell phones or the hapless traveller whose mobile has run out of charge. But what makes this turn-of-the-century little hole-in-the-wall special are the paintings crowded together on the walls. Some are framed pen-on-paper artwork, others are watercolors and acrylics. Still more paintings find themselves stacked on wooden shelves, awaiting final touches.

Owner Suresh Shanker Mahadik can often be found crouched over his latest creation, adding touches of pink to a swirling backdrop of black and white or sketching a wall of hedges with his pen. In between, he operates his PCO booth, which also offers basic stationery.

“It was my childhood dream to be a painter,” he explains. “I have no formal education. I opened this PCO in 1998. But over time, there is less and less demand for phone calls of this nature. So I’ve started to fill my time painting and selling my art.”

The artwork creates a sizable supplement for the shop-owner and artist, who is thus able to support his family. “But it’s not about the money, even though that is a big part of it,” he’s quick to clarify. “The main reason I do what I do is because I don’t like sitting idle.”

While his shop may be tucked away from those are not blessed with an eye to spot interesting nooks and crannies, the 47-year-old artist has got his share of regulars. “It’s usually a word-of-mouth process,” he says, adding, “Suppose you like my painting enough to take it home. Someone sees it and likes it. So you buy them one, or recommend the shop.”

With prices set between Rs 250 and Rs 1,500, the vivid pieces of art are easy on the pocket for the casual browser to pick up as well.

Trying out new styles is a favourite pastime for the artist. “Sometimes, I take scraps of earlier painting and paste it on a new painting, other times I mix pen and paint,” he elaborates. 

The painter often wanders over to the Jehangir Art Gallery to view the latest show. Often, the managers at the gallery call him over to view a particular showing. However, Mahadik insists that, while he appreciates the work he sees there, he draws inspiration only from within. “I only paint what comes to my mind. If there has been a change in my painting, it’s the fact that I am more confident in the work that I do, and that others too can see the vision that came to my mind.”