A Mumbai inspired by ‘The New Yorker’
Rachita Vora’s ‘The Mumbaikar’ art series pays tribute to Mumbai and its people, in a homage to the iconic magazine covers of The New Yorker.
A bustling metro filled to the brim with commuters on the constant move. Everyone in the rush, always to get get somewhere. A city that never sleeps. Where lovers walk hand-in-hand amid a sea of people always in a hurry. Even as someone stops to buy something from a roadside vendor, others brush past him—almost through him.
This is Mumbai. And perhaps, this is New York, as well. Two cities that seem like conjoined twins, separated at birth.
Rachita Vora
The artist Rachita Vora thinks so, too.
‘The Mumbaikar’ series—a tribute to Mumbai and its people, and homage to the iconic magazine covers of The New Yorker—began as a personal project for its creator Vora, who is the co-founder and director of India Development Review. Just like The New Yorker can be distinctly recognised for its trademark style and memorable design, covering a journal that is often the epitome of American culture, arts, politics, and more—The Mumbaikar, too, models its art from the identity of the city it represents. Inspired by the The New Yorker’s iconic covers, Vora’s art represents scenes include a couple on Marine Drive, a packed local train compartment, the gola seller on the beach—glimpses that speak in a quintessentially Mumbai accent.
“My art pays a tribute to both cities I’ve lived in—Mumbai and New York,” says Vora, a resident of Breach Candy. “To me, in so many ways they are more similar than they are different. The recent construction and pollution notwithstanding, Mumbai is one of the world’s great cities, and I felt we needed a ‘The Mumbaikar’ of our own.” Vora adds that she never expected the series to garner the kind of interest it has.
So why choose the iconic The New Yorker style? “The New Yorker magazine covers are such a wonderful tribute to New York City, I wanted something similar for Mumbai,” says Vora. “Plus, the play on words with ‘The Mumbaikar’ for this series is a nice coincidence.”
Vora elaborates how both the cities have much in common, from the incredible art and culture, diversity, food, to the people from all over that populate it. In fact, while living in New York, Vora was repeatedly reminded of her hometown—Mumbai—thanks to the energy and pace of life, and, of course, the density of people. But her images are distinctly different from the usual visual tropes that have come to define Mumbai.
“When I began working on the series, I decided that I wanted to try and capture moments and sides of the city that you won’t find on a postcard or tourist souvenir—no Gateway of India, no autorickshaws, no Rajabai Tower,” says Vora. “I wanted to depict aspects that would resonate with a Mumbaikar. Second, I chose to illustrate things that meant something to me and my own history with the city.”
“I decided that I wanted to try and capture moments and sides of the city that you won’t find on a postcard or tourist souvenir—no Gateway of India, no autorickshaws, no Rajabai Tower,” says Vora. “I wanted to depict aspects that would resonate with a Mumbaikar.”
In her eight-part series, Vora brings out nuances of the city, from the fervour of the forever-packed local trains, to the imbalanced calm-to-rough ratio of Mumbai monsoons. Her artworks are true representations of Mumbai life that never sleeps. The reimaginations of the international magazine are relatable and act as both reminders of home as well as a source of a fond yearning.
As the series began to get popular, Vora decided to crowdsource ideas from Mumbaikars for the eighth piece. She went on social media and asked Mumbaikars to share memories and places they most associate with the city. “I was overwhelmed with the response. There were so many unexpected and wonderful ideas: Sandwichwallahs, Irani cafes, the ‘champi’ guys on Carter Road, tetrapods, the list goes on,” she says. This eighth piece turned out to be of the Dadar flower market, which has since also turned out to be the most popular one on Instagram.
The 39-year-old Vora also has had to keep up with the pace of change of her hometown over the years. “It has changed in so many ways and so dramatically,” says Vora. “I’m not sure I would ever be able to put in words the exact changes.”
Not a trained artist herself, Vora took to digital art and linocut printmaking as hobbies last year during the pandemic. She credits her mother—an artist—for inheriting her passion. “I never pursued it professionally though, other than a few art classes during my undergraduate education at Yale University,” says Vora. “During the pandemic, I found art again. It was a great excuse to re-enter my childhood in a way. I taught myself linocut printmaking, and also began painting digitally.”
Vora is also the creator of the cartoon series, ‘This Nonprofit Life’, for the digital media platform India Development Review. It features cutting edge ideas, lessons and insights written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. “I started the cartoon series as part of our Humour section on the website. The cartoon offers a humorous take on what it’s like to work in the field of social impact. The most recent one calls out Jeff Bezos’ ‘Marie Antoinette’ moment at COP26.”
Busy with a full-time job, Vora is nonetheless in the plans for a few collaborations. She recently did a ‘Mumbaikar walk’ with Go Hallu Hallu, a community for those who discover the city on foot; and with Urbanaut, an app that curates authentic, bookable experiences. Collecting accolades for her ‘The Mumbaikar’ series, Vora is still undecided about expansion plans, but keeps the possibilities and options open for the near future.
“I’d like to start with places I know reasonably well,” Vora says. “I think that’s important in order to stay true to the core idea of the series, which is to feature timeless things about a place that resonates with its residents.” She adds that the present series is a kind of reminder of childhood memories and experiences. “For instance, the women cutting vegetables on the Mumbai local in the evenings, or the uncle who is relaxing on the parapet at Marine Drive right next to the lovers who are enjoying the sunset view—they are a fixture of any view of the city.”
Though she has received several requests for specific city vignettes and people to be represented, she stresses that she wants her illustrations to have some meaning corresponding to her relationship with the city. “For example, the illustration called Mumbai by Night and Day, which contrasts the sprawling informal settlements with skyscrapers is very close to my heart. Another work showcases Shiv Shanti Bhuvan, a heritage Art Deco residential building at Oval Maidan. Yet another has a pushcart at a beach, with a selection of chaats. “It is all about childhood memories—something that resonates with each one of us,” she says.
And why not? Our most memorable moments are memories of what we call home. It could be a cosy corner of green in a public garden, a patch of sun on the beach, a particular ice candy man of our childhood—any lived memory that takes us back to a place we hold close to our hearts. This is how, through her series, Vora finds that intersection of art and memory—in a city that will also be difficult to forget.
***
Medha Dutta Yadav is a Delhi-based journalist and literary critic. She writes on art and culture. You can find her on Twitter: @primidutt on Instagram: @primidutt.
