Once when Sunil Dutt heard of his wife Nargis’ photos on the show windows of India Photo Studio, he came looking for them. “He was so impressed, he ordered many copies,” recalls owner Vimal Thakker, seated on a sofa where once stars like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Nutan, Waheeda Rahman, sat for hours chatting with Vimal’s father Jethalal Thakker over cups of chai.

The iconic studio is turning 75, but the spotlight is dimming for this landmark in Dadar as it is buffeted not only by the winds of change, but is also caught in a redevelopment wrangle.

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Sepia-toned photographs peeping out from glass cases or fading frames on the walls testify that showbiz legends were once regulars at ground floor India Photo Studio at a decaying building near Chitra Cinema in Dadar (East). The cinema downed its shutters a couple of years ago. The studio too may not postpone its death for too long.

As this piece of the city’s cinematic and cultural history struggles to stay afloat, let us first see how it was born.

When Jethalal Thakker, a school dropout and partition refugee, reached Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1948 from Karachi, he did many odd jobs to survive before photography became his passion and profession too. “He would go to film sets to shoot the pictures. Then he thought of setting up his own studio and this place suited him because there were several film studios in the vicinity,” says his son Vimal, 69.

With studios like Roop Tara, Ranjit, Shree Sound, Kardar and Rajkamal not very far from this photo studio, it meant the actors kept visiting it regularly. “There were mainly two purposes of the stars getting photographed here. First, the stills had to be prepared for publicity and then, to remember the continuity between film frames, they needed to shoot photographs,” explains Vimal.

Senior photographer Pradeep Chandra credits this studio and its founder Jethalal for capturing some of the most memorable photographs of leading stars of the golden era. “He (Jethalal) was the only photographer of his generation who photographed even Madhuri Dixit at his studio,” says Chandra.

It so happened, recalls Vimal, that in 1995 a film magazine wanted to shoot Dixit, then at the peak of her career, and her secretary initially wanted it to be done on one of the film sets. “Film journalist Ali Peter John had approached us. My father and I said we would shoot at the studio. Madhuri had no problem and she came. We didn’t close the door so as not to give the impression that any celebrity was inside. At the reception, our man kept telling the customers that ‘andar kaam chalu hai’ till the time she was inside,” says Vimal.

In 2003, Jethalal died and Vimal inherited the rented studio. “While other smaller and newer studios charge Rs 60 or 70 for a few PPs, Vimal charges Rs 200 as he doesn’t compromise on quality,” says Vimal’s friend Prakash Nair.

A decade ago, a builder took consent of some tenants for the building’s redevelopment. “He is not agreeing to compensation at market rate and offering me space on the ground and first floors which doesn’t suit me,” complains Vimal.

“This property is certified under 33 (7) of MHADA and 80% of the tenants have consented. We are offering compensation as per redevelopment rules,” responds builder Ashok Doshi.

While the battle rages in MHADA, photographs at the iconic studio tell of its acche din.