When we call Lavy Pinto, a captain in the merchant navy, to fix an appointment to discuss The Mount of Faith, a documentary he has co-produced with his friend Daniel Meinrad (also a captain in the merchant navy), he’s adamant that we watch the film first — even though it means that he must travel from Bandra to Tardeo at 11 pm to hand us the DVD.

The next morning, when we reach Mount Mary Church, Bandra’s famous landmark, we understand why. The 40-minute-long film draws your attention to details of the over 100-year-old church that, despite countless visits, we have missed. Besides just noticing the basalt, limestone and Malad stone that make up the structure, we notice, as pointed out in the film, how the church is shaped like a cross. The film also tells us why we cannot see Mother Mary’s hand holding baby Jesus. In the 16th century [the shrine existed for centuries before the church around it was built], Arab pirates had plundered the shrine and chopped off the Lady’s right arm. A sculptor later replaced it with the statue of baby Jesus.