Kuber Shah

Kuber Shah, on one of his many photo walks in Fort Bombay speckled with Gothic and Victorian architecture, realised the humbling beauty of these spaces, which either go unnoticed or are abandoned. Since then, he has been capturing every little archaic window, crumbling doorway, and the various popular hotspots in the city. His own vintage car, a light blue ‘puffin pig’,  often makes an appearance in his photographs, taking us back to a rightfully romanticised Bombay of the 70s. In conversation with Kuber Shah, as he delves into his affair with light, spaces and anything nostalgic.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Bombay, into a Gujju business family. I went to school in Juhu, where my family has been residing for almost 50 years. We lived in one of the first Juhu residences. At 16, I decided to move out, and with my father's support, I went to Australia. There I learnt German and then moved to Germany, where I lived for 14 years. I enrolled for Industrial Engineering with marketing and economics, and worked in a law firm for power plants as a language consultant.

How did you start doing what you do, tell us about your journey as a photographer?
A lot of different factors, actually. I always had a camera on me, no matter where I went. My very first camera was a Yashica, but most of my analogue pictures were taken with my pocket Olympus. One fine day, my house was broken into, and everything was stolen — camera, iMac, backup drive, everything. Even utensils from the kitchen. And I realised that a lot of my good memories were lost as well. That's when I started using Instagram to document my last few days in Berlin. I’d say that was the true turning point, and me and my images are a ‘work in progress’. So there’s still a long way to go before I can call myself a ‘photographer’.

What drew you towards architectural photography?
When I moved back to Bombay, I was sad to see many beautiful old buildings gone. Also, I missed the old houses in Berlin which had 15ft height and huge rooms. Somehow I remembered seeing such homes in Bombay too, especially Bandra. That was the start to Doors of Mumbai. Also, during one of my jobs, I was quite unhappy with the images which made homes look like hotels and the high unjustified cost of such images. So I started taking pictures on my own, and here I am today, doing it professionally.

Let us in on your creative process, how do you visualise a picture?
That’s a tough one. Let's just say that what I want is already in my head and accounted for when I am shooting the actual image. And everything beautiful around me inspires me. The winters, vintage cars, people, buildings, the sun, and of course, light! So the entire process is quite smooth and intuitive.