Walls That Speak | Bollywood Murals of Bandra West continue charming Mumbai tourists & locals

If there's one place in India that showcases street art in all its glory, with larger-than-life graffiti shimmering under spotlights, it is Mumbai. This is the city that birthed B-Town and speaks a tryst of tales, of sorts.

Bollywood (a portmanteau derived from Mumbai's former name 'Bombay') is a feeling, really - with its roots embedded in the history and culture of the country. Thus, in order to celebrate this grandeur, artist and graphic designer Ranjit Dahiya engendered the famed 'Bollywood Art Project'. The aim was simple — to give a new meaning to murals and a new face to the city. And so be it.

Imagine roaming around the lanes of Bandra and spotting colossal paintings of legendary Bollywood personalities. How do you feel? As if you're transported back in time to an era that was golden? Well, that's exactly how these murals have continued to charm spectators.

Started in 2012, the Bollywood Art Project is an urban art project that stands as an ode, a memoir to popular Hindi cinemas. Aimed at drawing a colourful trajectory of Bollywood's history, the project pays picturesque tributes.

Embellishing the streets and walls of Bandra West, these murals speak stories. They not only celebrate the lives of Bollywood icons who still live through their art but also paint the city with colours.

Celebrated stars of the yesteryears, like Madhubala, Devanand, Asha Parekh, Bina Rai and Waheda Rahman, among many others, have come to life here on these walls. This has also, in turn, transformed the sleepy western suburbs of Bandra into a nostalgic, retro cineverse.

From the portraits of Anarkali and Saira Bano at Chapel Road, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan at Pereira Road to Dadasaheb Phalke around MTNL and Nawazuddin Siddiqi on Waroda Road — the journey is enticing for every art and culture enthusiast.