My dad is the dreamer with a vision. At work, he was like a rocket that would soar upwards…endlessly. My mother had to bring him down to earth and execute his plans. Luckily, I have a little bit of both in me

In the swiftly changing world of art, where canvases have moved from being a collector's passion to big business, Shireen Gandhy, youngest offspring of Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy, has taken over the reins of the 40-year-old Gallery Chemould, with artistic aplomb. Justifying her unconventional choices and experimental risks to SHRADDHA JAHAGIRDAR-SAXENA, she says, "If I had not taken a fresh turn then we would have been regarded as a gallery that only shows relics!"

[Shireen with parents, Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy: carrying the baton ahead]

The family's involvement with all things artistic, recalls Shireen, stemmed from their core business. "Framing photographs and portraits was dad's main concern. But, when he met Walter Langhammer, the Progressive Artists' Group's mentor, his interest in art began to flourish. When a dark hole in the building housing the Jehangir Art Gallery lay unused for a long while, Kekoo was asked to transform the dingy space. The Gandhys created magic and Gallery Chemould threw open its doors in 1963. And, the rest, as they say, is history.

Shireen often dropped in after school at her mother's workplace. "I was a patient kid, very much in and out of the gallery," says the 39-year-old. "It would be like a treat for me. I'd have a snack at Samovar, the small eaterie downstairs, a coke as a bonus and hang around till Mom finished her work." Her parents disagree, emphasising that little Shireen was much more than a mere hanger-on. Flashbacks Kekoo, "She would come to the gallery straight from school, point to the paintings she liked. It is amazing how she picked the best ones."

When she returned to Mumbai from London, Gallery Chemould had just turned 25. The world of art had begun to hum. Christie's had entered the art scenario in India and the demand for Indian works had begun to spiral. "It was an exciting time to return," Shireen reminisces. "The handover at the gallery happened gradually. My mother and I worked together for some time...she slowly began to take a back seat." Even though there was a marked difference in their visions, the Gandhys let their daughter follow her own muse.

The artistic world is not all a bed of roses, though. Aficionados have to guard against the 'fake factor'. In fact, late last year, news surfaced that an Anjalie Ela Menon sold by Gallery Chemould had turned out to be a fake.

"The only mistake I committed was that I did not check the source. It looked like Anjali's work and was in perfect condition. The thought that it could be a fake did not cross my mind at all…. Later, we realised that there were three copies - all done by the same person." Shireen has now sworn not to touch a painting again unless she knows its provenance.