As the Museum Society of Mumbai completes six decades, its chairperson Dr Pheroza J Godrej pays tribute to the volunteer-only organisation’s success stories against the odds, and its resilient members who channelled their synergies with CSMVS to fuel a cultural movement in the city
Pheroza Godrej joined the Society in the mid-1970s, when her mother gifted her a membership. Pic/Satej Shinde
On the day we meet Dr Pheroza J Godrej in her sixth-floor office at Godrej Bhavan, her excitement over a Kathakali performance by the Museum Society of Mumbai (MSM) to be held that same evening is hard to miss. “I am not carrying a Kerala saree, but an Assamese saree. I will be asked about it,” she chuckles. Proceeding to give us a peek into the show flow, she locates the same listing among the pages of Celebrating a Diamond, the commemorative coffee table book that was recently released at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) to honour six decades of this prestigious organisation. “These lecture-demonstrations are a great education. For this one, make-up, jewellery and the dress will be discussed. One of the two male dancers is going to be fully made-up to perform, while the other will offer the explanation.”
Children engrossed in paper mache activity during the workshop, 1981. The Museum Society was ahead of its time in realising that children were important stakeholders to its activities. Within two years of its registration, in consultation with The Prince of Wales Museum (todays CSMVS), they raised funds for a Children’s Creative Centre on its lawns
Though we’re equipped with our questions, we soon realise that this conversation about Mumbai’s cultural evolution over six decades, will organically steer its own path. With this series as a starting point, Godrej divulges a fond reminiscence about MSM’s association with its collaborators and well-wishers. “Last year, after attending a Sattriya performance at Cymroza Gallery, the late Kishore Mariwala suggested that MSM host the same show on a larger scale at NCPA’s Experimental Theatre. He pledged full support,” she recalls with gratitude. “It was Arti Mehta’s [MSM member] idea to invite people to sponsor events.” For the next few minutes, Godrej reveals how premier city institutions like CSMVS, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) have supported MSM events for decades. “It’s all about good equations,” she reminds us.
Ladies, first
This eponymous book, edited by Sunday mid-day columnist, Meher Marfatia and Dr Shefali Balsari-Shah, offers a ringside view of the city’s cultural metamorphosis, from the 1960s till date. Credit for MSM’s foundation must be given to a group of resilient, visionary women. In fact, for a year at the beginning, it was called ‘The Ladies Committee!’ since a majority of members were women.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi performs at the Society’s silver jubilee celebrations in 1988
“While browsing through old documents and photographs, I came across the fine work of founding members like Surovi Bhattacharjee, Saryu Doshi, Jeroo Vakil-Mango, and Asha Sheth. Many had joined the Society as young brides. Their contribution was tremendous,” Godrej recalls, citing how the idea of a commemorative book originated. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet Surovi, the founding chairperson. She was a good friend of Dr Moti Chandra, the then director of The Prince of Wales Museum (today’s CSMVS). It was his daughter-in-law, Helen, who suggested that a society, similar to Friends of Museum societies in the US, should be set up. Being a new idea [MSM started in 1963], curiosity and interest were high. People fondly remember fundraisers like the Mughal Nights. Surovi was driven; she galvanised people to join. I’m sure that the idea started over a cup of tea between Surovi and Moti,” she smiles.
Members and guests of MSM on a site visit to Lonad Caves, near Kalyan, 1970. pics courtesy/The Museum Society of Mumbai
A warm anecdote underlines how members pulled off events with minimum infrastructure, “The slide projector would be hired at a concessional rate from Central Camera because staffers were MSM members.” The British Council, Alliance Française de Bombay, Max Mueller Bhavan, and the Cymroza Art Gallery come in for special mention. “They were our saviours.”
Time travel
MSM’s early programming featured a who’s who of luminaries, from Dr Salim Ali and Dr Sonal Mansingh to Nissim Ezekiel, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. “There was no NCPA; Shanmukhananda was in central Mumbai. They came on board because of their love for the city and the museum,” she reasons, adding, “The Bhulabhai Desai Memorial Institute (BDMI) in Breach Candy was the nucleus for the arts; CJ Hall would host Kal ke Kalakar. I’d attend shows there, and if I liked a performance, I would invite the artiste to perform for us. They didn’t need much convincing.” Back then, membership fees were nominal, as it is today. Godrej is constantly nudged to increase membership fees. But she is firm. “We are completely different from the rest; our agenda is different. We are not a corporate-run platform. We give to culture because we believe in the cause of culture.”
Dr Jamshed Bhabha at the inauguration of an exhibition of original paintings from the Vienna School of Phantastic Realism, March 12, 1973
The Society’s role in fuelling the city’s cultural ecosystem since the 1960s and ’70s is evident. “Artistes, musicians, theatre people, writers, poets and performers flocked to BDMI, which had an open-door policy. St Xavier’s College had a buzzing theatre scene. There was also a vibrant Gujarati and Parsi-Gujarati (natak) theatre with Adi Murzban at the core. Movies ran for a few weeks, so what would people do after that?” Godrej recalls. “That positive energy spilled over into the MSM’s itinerary. Many around us wanted to support and contribute. Our scholar-led guided tours included historic locations like Elephanta, Lonar, Ellora, Ramtek, Kolhapur; these were on a tight budget because we wanted everyone to come. Arti (Mehta) steered it; she liked it despite it being a lot of work.”
Rashmi Vaghwala, Shailesh Mahadevia, Jeroo Mango, Pheroza J. Godrej, Hemlata Mariwala, Soonu N Godrej, Devangana Desai, Arti Mehta, Sadashiv Gorakshkar, Shridhar Andhare, Arvind Jamkhedkar, Kunjalata Shah and Nalini Swali, 1989
By the 1980s and ’90s, Mumbai was also emerging as a financial hub. Did culture lose out, we ask. “The opening of NCPA changed everything because venues could be rented out; NGMA was operational, but BDMI had faded by then. Prithvi, St Andrew’s auditorium and the Sophia Bhabha auditorium, apart from Tejpal, Birla and Patkar Halls had robust programming. Other museums have venues, which is good. However, Mumbai needs more cultural spaces. The city cannot be only about business,” she remarks.
Culture forward
Life without technology is unthinkable today. So, how did MSM sustain their big-ticket itineraries, back in the day? “We would cyclostyle invitee addresses. My mother ran a school, so sheets were printed in the office; addresses were cut out, stamps were fetched from the post office, and we would mail the invites ourselves.” Technology was extremely helpful then but their meticulousness remains unwavering, with events often fixed eight-nine months in advance. “We had an unbelievably packed calendar; those weekly talks kept us entertained and positive. Prior to sessions, tech rehearsals were held to ensure a smooth run. Technology saved us during the pandemic,” she rewinds, acknowledging that it was a defining period.
MSM’s programming in collaboration with CSMVS, under director general Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s guidance, has gauged the changing societal dynamic. “People travel a lot, and are culturally more curious. Earlier, there was a gap between when they visited the museum — first, as schoolchildren, and later, with their own children. Now, there is a demand for engagement among younger parents. Families have become nuclear; there are no grandparents to tell children stories. We have to tell the stories.” MSM has been at the forefront of empowering the underprivileged, who have zero access to culture. “We embrace platforms like The Akanksha Foundation, and Teach for India to reach them.” As chairperson, her mantra is focused on youth and technology, “Borrow from the past and use it for the future. Younger people must be at the core of this movement. I know that they don’t have the time, but the Society can show them how to create time. There is overreliance on the Internet, and tools like AI and ChatGPT. They should realise that there are no shortcuts.” Godrej and her predecessors never believed in short cuts. It’s why their contribution to the city’s cultural landscape is here for the long haul.
To buy a copy Write to jason.johns@xaviers.edu and museumsocietyofbombay63@gmail.com (Professor Jason Johns, Honorary Secretary, Museum Society of Mumbai)
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