DURING the Mumbai riots of 1992, there was a long canvas spread across the entrances of the openair gymkhanas at Marine Drive, where MF Husain was painting the embroiled scenery as it happenedu2014 expressing his anguish at the ongoing turmoil,u201d recalls Kalpana Shah, gallery director, Tao. u201c My friend Sangeeta Jindal rang me and suggested we go see him in action. Once there, when she saw how moved I was to see the great master immersed in work, she suggested I open an art gallery. As a conventional housewife raising her child and taking care of the home, I had no idea if this would work.u201d Shahu2019s sea- facing gallery at Worli, completes 20 years, its iconic glass fau00e7ade over time having showcased works that even passersby could view, unknowingly giving the public an introduction and glimpse into the latest in art. While her entrepreneur husband Pankaj Shah, and his team handled administrative responsibilities, Kalpana sharpened her creative vision. She remembers him telling his staff about her, u201c Bhabhi knows nothing about administration, sheu2019s creative. You will have to be particular about the finances to keep this ship afloat!u201d Eight years, another baby and several conversations later, Tao was born in 2000. Within the first year, she held Ashatanayak, a show featuring Akbar Padamsee, Bal Chhabda, Krishen Khanna, MF Husain, Ram Kumar, SH Raza, Tyeb Mehta and VS Gaitonde. All eight legends insisted that Shah curate the show. She ended up featuring a juxtaposition of one work from the beginning of their careers with a recent masterpiece.
u201c My journey has been a sentimental one,u201d Kalpana thinks. u201c I get goosebumps when I hear a good story, and I love to tell one, too. The gallery was meant to be opened by Raza, and on the day, he got stuck in Paris! He called me to say, u2018 Funny storyu2014 I was fitting my Ela Das
