Vile Parle walls turn into canvas for amateurs

Nirav Mehta, along with his family added colour to his lazy weekend routine on Sunday morning.

Nirav Mehta, along with his family added colour to his lazy weekend routine on Sunday morning. He joined his neighbours from around nine buildings of the locality at Vile Parle (West) and painted the walls of their street, Bapubhai Vashi Road.

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“I have never done any graffiti. It was not just about cleaning up our surroundings, but having fun while doing so,” said Mehta, 34, who joined his wife and their six-year-old son in painting a wall.

The event, organised by Vile Parle (West) Parivartan Sahakar Samiti, an Advanced Locality Management group, was to invite residents and involve them in the beautification of this stretch of the road, which is usually occupied by hawkers. "The initial plan was to paint the wall white. But it would have been spat on and spoilt immediately. By inviting residents to beautify the walls, we have involved them into becoming active participants in their own local issues," said Veena Shanghvi, secretary of the ALM, who planned the event in two weeks and garnered interest by sending out circulars among the residents.

The event which was on the lines of The Wall Project at Tulsi Pipe Road in Mahim saw participants, mostly amateurs, painting the walls on health, social and environmental themes.

Hena Parikh, 20, a commercial arts student at Sophia College, based her painting on the 26/11-terror attack while a group of youngsters painted a poster hoping India will host the FIFA World Cup by 2030.

Some felt the event was a welcome change from both busy schedules and drab walls. “The music, the colours, the enthusiasm, makes the street look like a mini festival. Along with a cleaner, colourful street, we also now have a sense of community," said Shilpa Modi, who along with her neighbour completed her street painting in three hours.