"Balconies represent Mumbai's spectacular diversity"

1. What interested you about the balconiesu00a0of Mumbai?
Architecture defines a city in many ways; one gets a sense of the history, culture and people. Our city's architecture dates back to centuries; we get an amazing sense of time. These balconies represent that huge, spectacular diversity and they are telling us a story of this city. And, I would like to tell that story. Because of our climate, we are a balcony city and surprisingly, no one thought of working on it before (the first edition of this book was out 11 years back).

Ayesha Taleyarkhan stands outside one of her favourite older bungalows in the city at Mazagaon. Pic/Dhara Vora

2. Why did you decide to rework on the book?
The city has changed a lot. Apart from new constructions, we have also seen new perceptions by people. I had shot many new pictures. And thought of doing away with some of the old, non- relevant pictures from the book to show the newer versions. I thought we could do a lot more on this topic.

Beyond Bombay Balconies, Ayesha Taleyarkhan, '2,995. Will be available soon at Strand, Nalanda, and other bookstores.

3. Why do you think balconies form an essential part of our lives?
I love a balcony -- you are not out of the house, but you are not inside the house too. You can stand and see what's going on around the world from it. It's not like a bedroom or a dining room that have been bracketed for purposes; it serves a different purpose for different people. It's an indefinable space. But with the property prices today, everyone wants more space, so people include the balconies in their rooms for more space. Even this gives you a sense of the current state of the city.