The first thing the eye sees on entering the Live Indian Painter studio in Dadar East is a panorama of wedding paintings, with happy couples smiling, twirling, and dancing. The 24x36 inch frames feature snapshots of ritual—at the mandap, surrounded by blooming flowers, or with the happy faces of friends and family. “Capturing a wedding scene live is a different experience, both for the couple and their guests. It creates an interactive atmosphere,” says Mitali Salunke, one-half of the artist couple behind the studio. 

The Sir JJ School of Art alumni have since 2018 painted over a thousand works, for weddings across countries. But the demand, they say, began picking up after the COVID-19, induced lockdown. “Couples and families wished to celebrate with pomp and go all out,” says Chetan Advirkar, who began his career with caricatures and wedding invites.