15 April 2025, 7:50 am

I’m at the nature trail in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, here to meet a certain someone. My wait gives me a front-row seat to several conversations playing out simultaneously. The 100-odd people slotted into the same time frame as me are a chatty bunch, I conclude.

I can’t help smiling to myself as a sibling duo (evidently quite sleepy) whine about the early time slot. Their father pacifies them, “Aise subah mein ghumna kabhi hota hai? (Where do we get morning outings otherwise?).” A cogent argument, I agree.

A posse of women chat animatedly, visibly excited by this “unlikely” spot. I share their awe; the walkway is a mood board of beautiful views. Besides them, an elderly uncle duo laughs heartily. Just as I’m about to discover the joke, the certain someone I’ve been waiting for taps me on the shoulder. Rahul Kadri is here.

Until today, I knew Rahul as one of the principal architects of IMK Architects — an architectural firm whose expertise dates back to 1957; their projects dominate the Indian skyline, functionality and culture convening in each. But, from 30 March 2025 onwards — the day the walkway was opened to the public — I will recognise Rahul as the man who gifted Mumbai a time portal into the past.

The architect unravels the art

It’s barely a month since the Malabar nature trail gained a place in the city’s memory. But it hardly feels like a newcomer. It’s almost as if the trail always existed and just needed to be uncovered.

We amble along the walkway, guided by its contours and dips. Rahul, on the other hand, relies on muscle memory to find his way. After all, he forged these very trails as a child when he’d explore the forest with his pet dog.

Then, decades later, he did it again, while supervising the construction of the walkway. This project is a collaborative effort by the Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum (NRCF) and IMK Architects, with support from the JSW Foundation and funding from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). “I’ve watched it........

© The Better India