Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan...

This photograph of mumbai is circa 1930.

I know you are trying to breathe that nostalgic fresh air of yester years as you try to visualize Mumbai in its full glory (its past tense now, sorry!!), right?
Whenever I dream of this beautiful city, the following lyric just gives me goose bumps……….

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Ha haa, ha ho ho, ho hi haa ha haa

Hm hm hm hm, hm hm hm , hm hm hm hm hm

Kahin building kahin traame, kahin motor kahin mill

Milta hai yahan sab kuchh ik milta nahin dil

Insaan ka nahin kahin naam-o-nishaan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Kahin satta, kahin patta kahin chori kahin res

Kahin daaka, kahin phaaka kahin thokar kahin thes

Bekaaro ke hain kai kaam yahan

Zara hat ke zara bach ke,

yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

What a song yaar!! It cannot get any better folks.

Even though born-n-brought up in the city I truly enjoyed the true taste of Mumbai in college. Studying at Wilson College at chow patty gave us a Phukat window seat at chow patty. Bunking lectures, coaxing friends, enjoying the sea breeze, the bhutta-wala, running bare feet in the sand…..it was a truly magical period. During the rains it was like the icing on the cake.

And who can forget the old Irani restaurants? (I still frequent them today, but not as much as I used to) Kyani-Bastani, Leopold, Sunshine, Jimmy boy. These restaurants are the heart of the city, any mumbaikar will agree to that.

The very visible signs and posters found here are the true trademarks of these places.For instance “don’t comb your hair in front of the mirror” “pay exact change” “Please do not sit idle on the table” “Do tell how the service is” “thank you, visit again” are one of the few signs out of the dozens of other signs painted on the rustic, old walls. If you see an Irani restaurant recently given a makeover then it isn’t an Irani restaurant anymore!! Wooden creaky chairs, ever reluctant noisy big old fans revolving sluggishly, less bothered waiters, tiles which have forgotten their original color are some of the distinctive “charm” these restaurants possess.We used have a lot of fun spending time (bunking lectures) in here. The restaurant near the college also had a old juke box installed inside. Just dropping a rupee in that juke box used to give us a total paisa Vasool experience.

Riding on the red dabbas (BEST) buses is an altogether different experience. Be it trains, buses, cabs, the rude rickshaw-wallas (tuk tuks as they are known in the west), the ever punctual dabba-wallas. Festivals, coolies, almost everyone have been playing a crucial part to keep this city alive and kicking. Maintaining a separate identity from the other metropolis.
I just hope the Mumbai of yester years returns once more. It has given us so much..............in return what have we given it…??? Any answers ???