In a move to beautify the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation invited citizens to paint graffiti on walls owned by the civic corporation, and on INdependence Day, people responded with enthusiasm.

BMC had approached the Wall Project, a Mumbai-based group specialising in graffiti painting, to decorate the 3-km wall from Mahim to Dadar railway station along the Tulsi Pipe road with grafitti. Around 200 artists and also novices in handling the brush came forward to showcase their talents on the huge canvas on August 15. The artists are expected to complete the stretch by August 16.

“We were thrilled when BMC approached us. We started a community on Facebook to invite people to paint the wall on August 15, 16. We received an overwhelming response as it was a long weekend,” said Nisha Jacob from the Wall Project.

Mumbaikars from all walks of life came forward to paint. “Right from artists to bankers, everyone wanted to paint. Moreover, as it was Independence Day, many expressed their patriotism through the paintings,” Jacob said.

Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev said, “Walls across the city are dirty because of pan stains or political graffiti. So we asked citizens to use this public space creatively.”

The civic body cleaned up the wall and provided the artists with paints and brushes. Along with artists from various fine arts colleges of Mumbai, common people also took up the brush. “People passing by in cars stopped out of curiosity and many joined us,” Dhanya Pilo of the Wall Project said.

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