Tara Chandavarkar

Architect Nina Chandavarkar recalls architect Tara Chandavarkar from the time she spent with her. She remembers her old-school ways and the way she was disciplined in seamlessly managing her multiple roles in the personal, social and professional space. Nina remembers all the close relationships Tara held up until her death and the various partnerships that sustained her many social initiatives. She recalls a few stories from when a school was started at her house for which she instantly offered up the space,  which was exemplary of why people remembered her as a matriarchal figure who always kept her house open. Her family background included people who were mainly landed gentry in Bangalore. Nina remembers her mother and father as well as the progressive movements within the history of the family. She mentions Tara’s relation to the preeminent Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay as well as the famous guests that frequented her home. Commenting upon her marriage at a tender age to a man from a family of learned scholars, she notes the relationships she cultivated. She talks about  some of her time spent with CNT Architects and Tara’s involvement, as she took on a significant role even with the limited education she held. She dwells on the conversations she had with Tara and the perspective from which Tara talked about her designs, practice, methodologies, etc. She recalls how Tara pushed her to set up her own firm, an advice she says she appreciates in hindsight. While speaking about her work ethics and processes, she expands on her tireless personality and the way she tackled the gender bias at work in her generation, about 50 years back. Moving on to the challenges she faced as a young mother, she talks about the extended house staff that allowed her the time to work. Once she formulated CNT, she recalls how she held a very active role in the firm and notes the important projects that Tara got especially involved with. Moreover, she often  took on pro-bono projects for the underprivileged, which she worked on extensively. Concluding on many other projects she took up, Nina talks about  some of the details which she remembers. 

Prem Chandavarkar begins the conversation by recounting how a firm was started by his father Narayan Chandavarkar in 1950 and how it was Bangalore’s first established architecture practice at the time. He then goes on to detail Tara Chandavarkar’s experience of taking over the firm when her husband died at a young age in 1963, when she was only 35 years old. On the responsibilities she undertook, Prem mentions her role in the administrative, marketing, and human resource management areas. He then expands on how Pesi Thacker came to join hands with Tara and how the new firm was born, which went on to be called Chandavarkar and Thacker (CnT). He speaks about the changing culture of architecture practice in the country, the resistance against the dominant cultural influence of Corbusier’s vision of modern architecture, and the principles of the practice at the time.
On the subject of Tara’s position in the firm, he describes how she preferred to stay in the background while making sure she was part of all discussions. He mentions her excellent communication skills and notes how she had strong notions about what she thought good architecture was. He also notes how she was the only non-architect to be felicitated for her contributions to architecture by the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA). He goes into detail about the exclusive role she played in managing clients and her relationships with them through a human-connect, which led to many long-term client relationships that sustained with the firm. He also speaks about any gender-based challenges she faced, being one of the only few women acting as a firm-partner. Moreover, she was also a part of several groups and organisations promoting Indian handicrafts, music, and was involved in educational endeavours around the country. This also included many of her philanthropic efforts and activities. Concluding the conversation, he remarks how her sense of progress was rooted in a humanistic approach towards the field and a focus on value systems. She retired gradually over time.   
 

Prem Chandavarkar details the opinions and insights Tara Chandavarkar had in terms of how Bangalore city and the way it changed affected architectural practice around it. Speaking about her careful separation of the personal and the private, he notes how she believed that their practice was about more than an individual. This kind of commitment to the greater purpose required that she kept her personal life away from the professional space. Tracing her inspirations back to her childhood and the house she grew up in, as well as the house she lived in as an adult, he comments on how these places were constructed as places of gathering. 
He then goes on to describe her associations with the Nehruvian philosophies of nation-building and how this played out in her role at the firm. On whether and how women practitioners should be involved in such endeavours of nation-building, he comments that she was a staunch believer of the cause. On the projects that she was particularly fond of, he mentions how she was proud of the firm’s social cause projects. He also mentions details of the early projects they undertook with the Indian Institute of Science, the Semiconductor Complex in Chandigarh, and a factory project they did with the Tata company in Jamshedpur as notable projects that marked her journey. Recalling her life after retirement from the firm, he notes how she kept herself busy even then and was very socially active. Even after facing medical issues or challenges to her health, he remembers how she always kept herself occupied. On her opinions about the education system in the country, he mentions how she felt there was a decline in its standards, and how it has become focused on churning out degrees as opposed to creating skilled professionals.The conversation concludes with remarks about her insights into politics within the city, the profession of architecture, and the technological advancements within the field.