Book excerpt: Mumbai India s financial nerve centre & biggest port is a melting pot with a population of over fifteen million.Bursting at the seams, the crowded, pulsating city is not just a city of gold but also a city of dreams it is home to the Bollywood. BOMBAY: THEN Enriched with in-depth historical research and exclusive photographs, Bombay: Then documents the transformation of the once insignificant cluster of islets into one of the most exciting spots for cultural exchange in South Asia. Among other views, the book illustrates the Mankeshwar temple and the Rajabai Clock Tower wrapped in scaffolding; the construction of Victoria Dock and the opening of its massive underwater gates; a lush and sparsely populated Malabar Hill; a rare view of the interior of a Parsi fire temple; factory scenes inside the Royal Mint and the Times of India units; what the stock exchange looked like nearly a century ago; and many breath-taking aerial shots of this beautiful island-city. Bombay: Then is a sheer visual treat through extraordinary historical photographs. MUMBAI: NOW Mumbai India s financial nerve centre and biggest port is a melting pot with a population of over fifteen million. Bursting at the seams, the crowded, pulsating city is not just a city of gold but also a city of dreams it is home to the Hindi film industry, also known as Bollywood. Mumbai: Now captures the city s chaotic but spirited and robust present, and brings this shape-shifting, elusive city to you from the stories of the first Goan migrants to the lives of native Koli fishermen; from the tradition of dabbawalas to that of cutting chai; and from the potters in Dharavi to the pink flamingos in Sewri in a series of beautiful, moving pictures that capture the many moods and faces of Mumbai.