Shaping Thane !

Incredible. Only the word will perhaps sum up the fifty years span of an architect, who to his credit has over 500 buildings, but literally did not know ‘A’ of architecture. Hard to believe you will find it, but then it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. That is octogenarian Shashi Deshmukh for you. The man who can be credited for changing the skyline of the beautiful lake city. Perhaps making it more beautiful.

Hailing from Malegaon in Nashik district of Maharashtra, Mr. Deshmukh then in his youth was sent to Thane by his father to pursue further education. A novice to the city, he had his first brush of mistiming as he arrived at a time when the admissions were already close. Disheartened, he then tried to make it up by seeking admission for commerce or art faculty. However, that too was late. It was then when he was wandering on the streets of Mumbai, he happened to see the board of Bandra School of Art. Finally he got the admission in an unknown course of ‘Architecture’.

Remembering his early days there, Mr. Deshmukh said, “For the first 15 days I was absolutely clueless of what was going on in the college.I gathered that they were teaching something related to building.” Eventually he took up a job to support his education. His first salary cheque was for Rs. 120. He further remembers his boss who was a structural engineer and a rather abrasive character under whom working was more than annoying. During the short stint of working in the office where there were only two people, he and his boss, Mr. Deshmukh got an opportunity to work for a few big projects. “The Bush factory in Wagle estate was designed by our team”, he recalls.

“All buildings on the Marine Drive were six storeyed then and our firm started getting the work of adding the seventh floor. I earned a fair amount of experience and the most delightful thing was the opportunity I got to interact with the home owners.That dialogue taught me many things in designing, the importance of optimum usage of space, the aesthetics, positioning of windows, doors and for that matter even the position of cupboards. It was a great learning experience which made my foundation strong”, noted Mr. Deshmukh.

He had to finally part company with his quirky boss and find a new job which offered him a handsome salary of Rs. 300. “This job gave me altogether a new perspective and an opportunity to explore new areas in my field which until then was restricted to residential buildings. I got an opportunity to design five factories on Thane-Belapur road. One of them was Bharat Bijlee”, reminisces Mr. Deshmukh.

The octogenarian architect has vivid memories of how the government officers used to work in those days. “They were very meticulous and disciplined. Once I presented my plans at 3.30 in the afternoon and received the sanction by the next day at 4pm. In the present scenario, many will find it unbelievable. During those days the MIDC engineers visited each and every site and spent time examining the construction and asked us whether we required any assistance. It was a great learning experience which gave me a valuable insight not only about the work but also study officers as well as clients”, he quipped.

“The MIDC those days had muddy roads and by evening we used to be covered with layers of soil all over the body.Taking a full-fledged bath was compulsory before we retired to our homes”, remembered Mr. Deshmukh.
Mr. Deshmukh started his own firm in 1968. By that time the word had already spread about his skills and sincerity which helped him bag some of the prestigious projects .The Saraswati secondary school near telephone exchange in Naupada was designed by him. The once upon a time noted society Anand Ashram with a peculiar design that actually showcased the cultural face of the city was done by him. With over 500 buildings constructed over the length and breadth of the city, recounting them by name has become a difficult job for him. But the MonaLisa building at Hariniwas with its peculiar design has become a landmark. Students of architecture from Manipal and other places used to visit this building to understand the innovative design.

Mr. Deshmukh was and even today is the most sought after architect. He has worked with famous builders like Chaitanya Parekh, Niranjan Hiranandani, Kabras, Kalpatarus, Neelkanth etc. He has also spread his wings in Nashik, Kalyan and Dombivali.

“For me architecture is much more than elevation, aesthetics and convenience of the user. It also has an environmental impact and must be in sync with the cultural and social face of the city”, concluded Mr. Deshmukh, almost giving his philosophical aspect of his profession.