Receiving the Bombay Times Art and Culture Visionary Award was more than just another accolade for artist and cultural curator Brinda Miller. For her, the honour reaffirmed a lifelong commitment to Mumbai. a city she says has shaped her identity and inspired her work for decades.Speaking about what drives her, Brinda says, “Being a fine artist and a creative person, I had always wanted to do something for Mumbai, the city that I love. I had to give back and that is what my jounney is all about.”Her connection with the city, she says, began at home. “I was raised in a family that truly loves Mumbai. My father, Nana Chudasama, was Sheriff of Mumbai and he always strove to beautify the neighbourhoods of Bombay. I watched him distribute saplings to encourage people to grow more trees. Many cultural events were organised to draw attention to the beautification of the city. It is all in my genes.”One of Miller’s most enduring contributions has been her role in shaping the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival into one of India’s most celebrated cultural events. Looking back on that journey, she says, “Twenty-five years ago, I volunteered to help organise the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and today I am proud to be instrumental in bringing it to its present glory.”She is quick to acknowledge the collective effort behind the festival’s success. “I am grateful to The Times of India Group for always supporting Mumbai’s only such arts, heritage and cultural event. Most of the headliners who won their awards alongside me have contributed to the success of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. I have merely been a catalyst in making it possible.”The award ceremony also coincided with an emotional personal milestone. “June 17 was also my father Nana Chudasama’s birth anniversary. If he is watching me from above, I think I made him proud with this award.”For Miller, every initiative, whether in art, public spaces or culture, has always been about giving back to the city she calls home. As she sums it up, “Like him, whatever I do, I do it for this city that I love. Call it Bombay or Mumbai, it is the appreciative people that make it the success that it is.”
