Earlier this month,Mumbai-based milliner Shilpa Chavan was asked by The Indian Express,as part of the Independence Day edition,to choose a place in the city which she best associated with freedom. She opted for the near-crumbling Shakti Mills in Mahalaxmi,where she also did a photoshoot for the publication. Less than a fortnight since,on Thursday evening,a photojournalist was gangraped by five men at the very same location while her accompanying male colleague was tied up. The irony is almost brutal. Chavan,known for designing accessories under the brand Little Shilpa,applauds the role textile mills have played in the freedom struggle. The term independence translates into self-sufficiency which was propagated as part of the Swadeshi movement during the freedom struggle. Theres a strong need for us to be self-sufficient even today and the mills remind us of that legacy, she had said in the earlier interview. However,the reason she chose Shakti Mills over any other defunct mill is its name. The word shakti signifies power,an important element when one talks about freedom, says the designer who is shocked at the incident. The seemingly beautiful textile mill is in ruins. Chavan and the publications photographer,upon their visit to the mill for the photoshoot,found the place reduced to a dump site. Discarded alcohol bottles and rags were strewn amidst wild vegetation. In the room at the back of the compound,the duo also spotted a group of hangers-on. Not very keen to wade through the mess,Chavan and the photographer instead chose to shoot closer to the entrance of the mill. The young designer,upon seeing the condition of the mill,had also spoken of the need to preserve the citys heritage and architecture. When I chose Shakti Mills,I thought someone will see the pictures,read about the place and perhaps take up the project of preserving this place, she adds. The vast space is sporadically used by ad filmmakers and television show producers for shoots. The unfortunate incident of gangrape,however,has made Chavan,who was born and brought up in the city,question the citys safe for women tag and the supposed sense of freedom it had,until now,offered.
