Akbar Arts

Our shop is over in Girgaon, right near the old bus depot and the Alankar Cinema. It is officially Shop No 1 on Plot 29, but most people just find us by looking for the 5th Kumbharvada lane. The area is always full of activity, especially with the traffic coming off the main road. Inside the shop, things are a bit cluttered. We have art supplies, frames, and various pieces we are working on scattered around. It smells like paint and wood shavings most of the time. We spend our days tucked away in the back, working on whatever project came in that morning. The light isn't always great, but we make do with a few overhead lamps. Being near the cinema means we get a lot of foot traffic, but we are mostly focused on the work at hand. We also have a presence in the Govandi area at Kushal Bhavan 65, so we are often moving between the two spots. It is a lot of back and forth, making sure we have the right materials in the right place. We don't have a big staff, just a few of us who know how to handle the tools. The floor is usually covered in some kind of dust or scrap material by the end of the day. We just sweep it up and start again the next morning. It is a steady way to live, being part of this old neighborhood for years.