“The Middle Road: Enabling Social Change and Impact“
Welcome to “The Middle Road” podcast with Mrinal Kapadia. “The Middle Road” is a thought leader upskilling platform within the social impact sector that blends media with edtech to promote affordable quality higher education.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am Nishant Malhotra, your host for The Middle Road podcast, and today I am delighted to have Mrinal Kapadia. Mrinal is a connoisseur of art and history with a particular interest in chronicling the history of Mumbai. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States where he studied and researched various aspects of Indian art and history, and nearly completed a minor degree in classical European Archaeology. After a short stint as a business management consultant, he is now involved across different business verticals, including film production. In 2020, he formalized his interest in history by founding the India Visual Art Archive, a collection of antique art and images that endeavors to link visuals through history and vice-versa. Through independent research, the archive is currently focused on colonial works from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency.
Mrinal’s passion for exploring the rich cultural heritage of Mumbai has led him to undertake several projects and initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting the city’s history. Through his extensive knowledge and research, he has developed a deep understanding of Mumbai’s evolution, from its early days as a fishing village to its present-day status as one of India’s most vibrant and dynamic cities. Today’s chat is to understand Mrinal’s interest in art, culture, and heritage as both a hobby and work. We’ll start with his academic learning at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US where he took a minor in history and how it fostered his work as a researcher and collector of historical collectibles. We’ll also discuss the areas of global history that inspired him to take up history, archaeology, and culture as a keen aspect of his work.
Image: Bombay Town Sea View 1765 | Source: Mrinal Kapadia
The middle Road YouTube Channel | Nishant with Mrinal Snapshot of the podcast
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As a resident of Mumbai, Mrinal grew up in the city and is a keen connoisseur of its art and history. He has been researching this topic for many years and has conducted sessions on the British and Portuguese maritime connection with Mumbai, we explore the British and Portuguese maritime connections with Mumbai, tracing the city’s history from a fledgling village to Bombaim and finally to Mumbai. Mrinal delves into the significant events and developments that have shaped Mumbai’s history, including the story behind the iconic Chowpatty in Marine Drive. Learn more about the origins of the word “Mumbai.”
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In terms of his professional career, Mrinal plans to continue his work as a researcher and collector of history. He encourages others to develop their hobbies into the highpoint of their lives. He also shares an “aha moment” that brings a smile.
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Check Cart here. Image: Chowpatty 1850 | Source: Mrinal Kapadia
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Q. Are you planning to take up your present hat as a researcher and collector of history
for a professional career? Feel free to share any message with the audience so they can
be motivated to develop their hobby to be the highpoint of their lives.
Q. Please share any aha moment that brings a smile.
Thank you, Mrinal, for sharing your time and insights with The middle Road. To learn more about Mr. Kapadia’s work, check out his newspaper articles.
Image Fort 1804 | Source Mrinal Kapadia
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YouTube: The middle Road – Nishant’s discussion with Mrinal Kapadia
Note: Images time lines, Fort Images and Snapshot video added after initial post of this piece.
The podcast was re-edited to remove disturbances at a few places without altering the essence of the original podcast.
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The wording were revised to bring in more clarity.