SRK`s bungalow are a part of our heritage

When the country’s wealthiest resident Mukesh Ambani decided to build a private house on a 60-storeyed vertical palace in Mumbai, architect Hafeez Contractor couldn’t help remarking, “In any other city, he would have 10 to 15 acres to himself. In a congested city, he wants to go high up and enjoy the view.”

High-rise apartments are rapidly taking over from colonial bungalows in most metros. The whole of Juhu scheme and parts of Pali Hill, Bandra, the hub of Bollywood in the glam city of Mumbai, will soon become casualty to real estate greed. “Veteran actors Dilip Kumar and Manoj Kumar’s bungalows are likely to be razed,”says Vikas Dilawari, a conservation architect. Says Saira Banu, “We have three bungalows, one of which Dilipsaab is redeveloping.” Actor Ranbir Kapoor recently confirmed that his home, the iconic Krishna Raj bungalow that has been a landmark in the Pali Hill neighbourhood for decades, will be razed and in its place will come up a 14-storey structure that will house his parents on the lower three floors and him on the uppermost three.

With most of the areas controlled by the government’s masterplan, bungalows in Delhi may have a longer life. Says A G K Menon, convenor, INTACH, Delhi, “Mumbai doesn’t have such a complex and detailed plan, and there is no scope to expand unlike Delhi. There’s a lot of pressure on Mumbai since it’s a commercial centre.”

However, Sanjiv Srivastava, senior vice-president, National Real Estate Development Council, Delhi, maintains, “Villas and bungalows should not be allowed simply because these consume more land and help very few people.”

Essentially, it is the temptation to capitalise on the real estate prices that is luring many, causing bungalows to vanish from leafy environs. At times, there are many heirs, like in music composer late Naushad’s property at Carter Road, Bandra, leading to sub-division and redevelopment. Says conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, “Only those bungalows that come under the heritage list and are protected by law will survive. Real estate prices are soaring. Bungalows on Prithviraj and Aurangzeb Road in Delhi cost anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 300 crore!”

Commercial centres are replacing bungalows in the Central part of Kolkata (Park and Camac Street) where real estate prices are zooming. Explains Kolkata-based architect Anjan Mitra, “People are bypassing laws and the municipal corporation isn’t helpful.” With absolutely no heritage regulation, the situation is graver in the garden city of Bangalore. Says INTACH’s Satyaprakash Varanasi, “Bangalore has become a city of immigrants who lack pride in heritage buildings.”

Pune, too, has lost many heritage treasures in the last few years. Bungalows of illustrious families like V Shantaram’s, that were laid out at Prabhat Road, Bhandarkar Road and around Koregaon Park area in the 1930s, have been converted into highrise apartm e n t s . Sharada Dwivedi, well-known historian who has managed to restore a few heritage sites in Mumbai, says, “Temptations are far too high. The owners of privately-owned heritage bungalows should be provided incentives for preservation.”

Unfortunately, Mumbai, the first city to get its heritage legislation in the country, has lost maximum splendour. Taraporewala Mansion, the heritage bungalow with elegant domes and intricate stonework that was once home to renowned writer, late Mulk Raj Anand, was razed to build Mittal Grandeur, a high-rise in Cuffe Parade; a similar Colaba heritage bungalow, Buckley’s Court met with the same fate. And now, the last bastion, Kilachand House in south Mumbai, may have to share its grounds with high-end residential flats.

Well, all is not lost, it seems. When industrialist Yash Birla proposed converting the landmark Birla House on Malabar Hill into a 44-storey highrise, last year, the heritage panel shot down the redevelopment proposal considering the historical and architectural importance of the bungalow that was frequented by Mahatma Gandhi on his visits to Mumbai. And as far as privatelyowned bungalows are concerned, it has now become each individual’s choice.