Before the tea gets cold

Sudhir Patwardhan's paintings show a Mumbai that viewers may find familiar. But look closer. The details tell new tales, trigger universal questions

- HASHIM BADANI

Sudhir Patwardhan has this unique way of observing the urban landscape he lives in. A lot of his work looks at the city through a refreshing lens. This may be attributed to the fact that he was a practising radiologist who doubled up as an artist. Many of us see Mumbai in its mundane daily form. However, if you take a moment to reflect, there are so many stories unfolding within it. Each of them is jostling for recognition and space but Patwardhan makes all stories feel equally important.

In this context, I find his painting from 1977 titled Irani Restaurant truly compelling. This is one of his earlier works and I first stumbled upon it while working at Time Out Mumbai. I have always been enamoured by this city, so Patwardhan's painting really drew me in. There is so much fascinating detail to be observed in it.