Yesterday, these bricks gleamed in the sunlight.
Today they are dull in mourning.
Their maker is no more.
Soon they will long for a breath of new life.
Like their architect, they know that change is inevitable.
But today, they mourn.
The last time we spoke to Navnath Kanade was on September 23, 2024. Like most conversations, this one too included a warm invitation to visit Laal Ghar. We had missed the grape and mango seasons this year, but winter would make a relievingly chilly visit to the rather hot town of Nagaj.
He mentioned that they would be celebrating Shankar Kanade’s 88th birthday the next day. We were included at their intimate party over a video call. On asking Navnath Sir about his birthday—a question that was dodged every time we enquired—he shared that it was “whenever he felt like it.” His birthday was not recorded and so was assumed to be an arbitrary date in the month of May to suit school admission at the time. We decided to take a certain liberty and celebrate each time we visited him, which made him very happy!
Humour was Navnath Sir’s general approach to life. He breathed with a lightness that was rare for his ripe age of 80. He laughed at himself, and then at everything else. He never took matters too seriously and yet was a stickler for details. He was sharp, staunchly decisive, and known to ask questions with answers already built into them. And oh, did he remember things. He cared with genuine curiosity and always asked (and followed up) on our latest projects. I can’t recall a conversation that did not end with a “thank you” from him.
By February 2024, Navnath Sir wrapped up all matters at Bangalore—where the brothers had lived for 40+ years and established their architectural practice—Shilpa Sindoor—to set up his permanent home at Laal Ghar (at their hometown of Nagaj, Maharashtra) earlier this year and ‘retire’ with his brother. Their practice continues in Bangalore with the same name and approach under their associate, Architect Praveen Saptasagar, who admits that he has big shoes to fill.
I thank architect Kukke Subramanya, who guided us into making a documentary on the Kanade brothers. During the production, Navnath Sir was less bothered by the film’s impact and more excited about the cinematography and the editing processes. At each of the 25+ screenings of the film (after its premiere initiated by architect Bijoy Ramachandran), members from the audience shared how being taught or having worked with the Kanade brothers is constant validation that keeps them sane and rooted in their beliefs.
A few facts the film does not include:
- Navnath Kanade’s stint with Paulo Soleri at Phoenix—while Shankar Kanade paved the way from their small town to bigger cities (Bombay, Ahmedabad, Bangalore), Navnath catapulted further and engaged with global world views of architecture.
- Their role in setting up the architecture department of the college at Hassan and eventually taking up associations with several educational institutions over time. Navnath Kanade retired from his teaching career only by the end of 2023.
- Being early members of the BASE (Bangalore Architectural Society for Education) group initiated by Nikhil Arni. Navnath Kanade was an avid traveller + photographer, both presenting and debating over their travel photographs at the meets.
Through 2024, Navnath Sir gave final touches to Laal Ghar and made it home, subsequently enjoying the literal fruits of his efforts for ten months. He complained about the monkeys that emptied the trees of their fruit and planned the incorporation of solar energy, drip irrigation (recently implemented) and driveway paving. The plans always revolved around Shankar Sir’s accessibility, apart from general convenience.
Navnath Sir initially did have his apprehensions about the move to Nagaj. He once said, “What will happen to an aged tree if it is uprooted and planted elsewhere?” Eventually, he found solace in his new life and was anticipating at least ten more years of it. I do not know a delicate way to admit that he neglected and stalled when it came to his health. While cardiac arrests seem to pick victims at random these days, there may be a lesson here too. Then again, a life so full is an example in more ways than one can put into words.
रीति रिवाज [Riti-rivaj; tr: customs] may be possible to avoid through one’s life, but death presses upon one’s successors the inevitable ritual for the peaceful departure of the soul. A JCB enters the premises, this time not for architectural earthwork but to carve out a new abode within the soil, albeit for a non-believer. People from near and far come together and execute what would otherwise have been a three-day affair, into a four-hour ritual. There is relief in knowing that he resides, in some way, underneath the very walls he raised.
Though Shankar Kanade says, “This house is now missing its host”, Navnath Kanade’s Laal Ghar represents a canvas he leaves behind for all his students, architects, peers, and friends.
His legacy—rather than one passed down by progeny—is an energy emanating from the scores of people influenced by his work and ethics.
From his own words in the film, what we derive from the existing wealth of information, and how we turn it into knowledge, will determine what we eventually become.
Karishma Rao is the Co-Director of the film ‘Kanade’, produced by Teepoi.
