If you happen to cross Worli, you are most likely to see a group of trans women dedicatedly painting the pillars of Love Grove flyover. They have been roped in by the authorities to add a splash of colours to the concrete jungle of Mumbai. The BMC, the MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) and St+art India have jointly undertaken the art and road beautification project. It was St+art India that came up with the idea of commissioning the activity to Aravani, an organisation that gives space to trans women to showcase their creativity through art. On the Worli Naka-bound stretch, 14 pillars will be painted by a group of 10 trans women, who start at 10 am and finish only by 6.30 pm.

Sadhna Prasad, Aravani co-founder and art director for this project, said, “The idea was to give these trans women a chance to exhibit their artistic skills, and at the same time make public spaces safe for them. All of them are trained in their work. It was my co-founder Poornima who came up with the idea of working with trans women and on the issues faced by them. We have a group of about 40 trans women across India who work with us part-time on project basis. We painted the walls on this road last year and our work was appreciated and we started getting noticed. This year, the government agencies commissioned the pillars as well.”