“It was covered for over 65 years. Removing the dust alone took a lot of time,” said 57-year-old Pavan Mehta pointing to the tall windows overlooking L block of Connaught Place.
This , as the Monday afternoon sun streams in and lights up the curtain, benches and machinery inside the huge space that once served as the darkroom for Mahatta & Co.
Mehta to Mahatta
The studio first started in Kashmir, where Mehta was forced to become anglicised as Mahatta since the British couldn’t pronounce the surname correctly. The photo studio, which completed its centenary last year, came to New Delhi from Srinagar in 1948 and has remained a landmark since.
The sale of negatives stopped once digitisation kicked in, followed by camera phones affecting the sale of point-and-shoot cameras.
Selfie generation
Taking and posting pictures on social media by the selfie generation is a matter of seconds. It is a place where old world photo studios don’t really fit in.
Even as many well-known photo studios in Connaught Place like Rangoon Studio and Shimla Studio shut shop due to absence of patrons, Mahatta & Co is still fighting and trying to move ahead with the times.
Drop in sales
A drop in sales and buyer interest has forced the studio to shut its retail operations, but it will carry on its professional work, the bulk of which involves wedding photography, and camera sales for corporate bulk buyers.
“The photo studio will remain. All our professional services will remain. We are going deeper into the fine art segment, apart from catering to corporates,” said 53-year-old Pankaj Mehta.
“After 100 years, we need to take our services to another level. We are gearing up for another 100 years. A 100 years is a long time during which the character of society changes and we have to keep up with the times,” eh added with a confident smile.
While changing with the times, the Mehtas are acutely aware of their legacy.
Antique cameras
From 1915 to 2016, the studio is a treasure trove of not just thousands of negatives, but also antique cameras and other collectibles.
An exhibition showcasing the prints and a book came out last year and the Mehta’s are planning more such exhibitions.
Shopping experience
The Mehtas added that the front studio showroom hadn’t changed in character ever since it opened in Connaught Place.
The present generation is not used to such a shopping experience, particularly when it comes to gadgets, they said.
Add to this is the onslaught of e-commerce. “Customers come in and show us on their mobiles how the same camera is available for discounted prices online,” said Mr. Pavan Mehta.
Keeping the showroom open for just a handful of buyers in a prime commercial area like Connaught Place does not seem viable anymore.
The showroom might now don the avatar of a different shop or even a restaurant. The first floor office and the dark room — in the process of being turned into a state-of-the-art photo studio — are where all the action will shift to.
“We are in talks with people,” Mr. Pavan Mehta said, adding that the iconic Mahatta & Co board would remain as it does now.
Mehta was forced to become anglicised as Mahatta since the British could not pronounce it correctly
