Bombay, the bustling port city of colonial India, was a crucible of cultures and ambitions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As the ‘Gateway to India’, its docks welcomed traders, workers and dreamers, shaping a metropolis that inspired vivid artistic depictions of its people, architecture and landscapes. Once Upon a Time in Bombay offers a glimpse into the city’s evolution from seven islands to a thriving urban centre. Spanning primarily the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the works in this exhibition capture Bombay’s dynamic street life, colonial grandeur and the quiet beauty of its hinterlands, reflecting a city that continues to be a symbol of opportunity and cosmopolitanism. Through diverse styles and mediums, these artworks invite viewers to reflect on a city that, though transformed, remains vivid in memory and imagination.