History In the Telling! Mumbaikars, This Exhibition Lets You Listen to Stories That Built the Nation

The third ongoing solo exhibition by The Citizens' Archive of India, In The Telling, is not to be missed. It documents and preserves the memories, stories, photographs, and memorabilia of a generation that lived through colonial India, Independence, and the making of modern India. Through personal narratives and archival material, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with lived histories across generations.

“What we hope to do is answer the question of what oral history is, and why historians like us quite happily walk into strangers’ homes, rearrange their living rooms, and ask them about their lives,” reveals oral historian and Archive Director Malvika Bhatia.

Addressing a room full of enthusiastic people, eager to learn more about the uncharted living histories of India, she adds, “Oral history is, very simply, the act of recording someone’s experience of a moment or an event in history a certain number of years after it has taken place.”

The exhibition is for people across ages groups, and through the course of the talk, led by Malvika, the audience got interesting insights about ordinary people and their experience growing up in India. Some of the stories she shared were emotional, while some others spoke of redemption, liberation and independence.

Malvika walked people through the exhibition from the point of view of a historian and also invited them to watch a short 8-minute film post her talk. "The first question I ask people during an interview is 'tell me about your father and mother', and suddenly you'll find their faces light up, as people are happy to talk about their parents, and the interview just flows from there," Malvika shares.

Through her exhibition she gave people a glimpse of the past using photographs, letters, documents, passports, etc. "People don't have photographs of every incident in the past because in those days no one was taking pouty selfies in the bathroom," she laughs. "Cameras belonged to the rich, and photographs were for special occasions." Hence, you'd also find writings, printed and framed on the walls of Chemould Prescott Road, Fort, where the exhibition is presently on.

Pointing to photograph of an Indian man riding a horse, with a car parked in the background, taken around World War II, Malvika threw light on how similar the situation presently in India is. "It was the time fuel was being rationed. Unfortunately, we can't switch to horses right now," she exclaimed. Another story from Dharwad, about a grandfather's grand ambition for his grandchildren, revealed a child's awkward childhood photo, in which he is seen sporting an embroidered cap and shoes, which stuck out like a sore thumb because the other kids showed up barefoot to school.

The guests present got a glimpse into stranger's lives, as they celebrated unknown people's firsts — be it their honeymoon pics or first car. On view from May 14 to 17, the exhibition, which is taking place at Chemould Prescott Road, also features heritage walking tours. Scroll down to see some of the events happening over the weekend.

Calendar of Events

Saturday, May 16

4:30 PM, The Bombay Balchao Walk | Walking tour by Jane Borges

A heritage walk through the neighbourhoods that inspired Bombay Balchao.

6 PM, Living with Ghosts | Stories from a multi-generational household by Meghana AT

A storytelling performance about memory, change and home.

Sunday, May 17

9 AM, Gratuitous, Curious and Contagious: A Dose of Bombay's Past| Walking tour by Dr Nirali Patel

A heritage walk exploring the history of Mumbai's public health.

5 PM, Nation of Stories: An Oral History of India | Talk by Malvika Bhatia

A talk about the ordinary stories that shaped the India we know today.

In The Telling, till May 17, at Chemould Prescott Road. Timings from 11 am to 6 pm.

Visit the Citizens' Archive of India Instagram page to register.

Published on: Friday, May 15, 2026, 04:00 PM IST