Matunga - abode of yesteryear stars

 Matunga – abode of yesteryear stars

Today when we think of homes of Bollywood stars we think of Bandra, Juhu and Versova. But in the 1930s and 40s most of these areas were not as urban as they are today. And most people who worked in Bombay preferred to live in the island city. And so was the case with yesteryear’s movie stars, quite a few of whom lived in Matunga.

Earlier, Hindi films were made not just in Bombay but in Calcutta and Lahore as well. However, by the early 1940s many film personalities made their way to Bombay realising its growing importance.

Prithviraj Kapoor who had arrived in Bombay 1928 lived at Matunga's Punjabi Galli situated between Adenwala Road and VJTI and, a stone's throw away from Five Gardens. Though the official name of the street is R. P. Masani Marg, the name Punjabi Galli was apt as most of these actors were Punjabis. Besides Prithviraj Kapoor, there were Kundan Lal Saigal, villain Madan Puri and director Lekh Tandon, to name a few.

Prithviraj Kapoor lived with his extended family which included his father, his siblings and of course his own family that included future stars of Hindi Cinema – Raj, Shamsher Raj (Shammi) and Balbir Raj (Shashi). His home was open to many young men who had come to Bombay to seek their fortune in Hindi films. One of them was Lekh Tandon who went on to become a well-known film maker. Whilst Prithviraj Kapoor's younger brother Trilok Kapoor made a name for himself often playing the role of Lord Shiva. 

The other famous resident of Punjabi Galli was Swar Samrat Kundan Lal Saigal. His voice had won him stardom at New Theaters, Calcutta in their Hindi and Bengali movies, and he later moved to Bombay in 1941 / 42 to join Chandulal Shah’s Ranjit Movietone. He stayed in a building called Radha Kunj (now renamed Amar Kunj) with his wife Asha Rani and their children. Saigal would often host family and friends for a movie on the terrace of his building.

Another resident of Radha Niwas was the family of Madan Puri, Hindi cinema’s quintessential villain. He was a cousin to K. L. Saigal who helped him find a footing in the film industry here. Madan Puri later went on to do the same for his younger brother Amrish Puri, famously known for his dialogue “Mogambo Khush Hua”.

Well known actor-writer-director J. K. Nanda also resided in Punjabi Gully. He is credited with writing the script of Mirza Ghalib which was the first film to win the President’s Gold Medal. Naturally, his house was often visited by beautiful heroines such as Suraiya, Nargis, Madhubala and Nimmi which was quite an attraction for the other residents in the lane. Another attraction was Shammi Kapoor dressed in his shorts, walking his Alsatian dog in the lane which brought out the galli’s girls to their balconies. The galli was also used for lane cricket which the Kapoors, the Tandons and others played in their spare time, using the fire hydrant as stumps.

Punjabi Galli was also home to popular actor–director Manmohan Krishna, himself a physics professor, and Jagdish Sethi who co-acted with Prithviraj Kapoor in India's first talkie, Alam Ara. In the next lane lived K. N. Singh known for his “gentleman-villain” roles, often seen onscreen smoking a pipe whilst dressed in fine suits. His hallmark style was his menacing look whilst delivering dialogues in a cold, calm manner.

                              

There was a lot of bonhomie between the families of these film personalities. They would frequently visit each others homes whilst their children played together. Manmohan Krishna who had done his M.A. in Physics would also teach the children. And, they were ready to lend a helping hand when the need arose.

There were others like actor Jayant (Amjad Khan's father), music composer Anil Biswas, actors P. Jairaj, Kanaiyalal & Bharat Kapoor, singer Manna Dey, danseuse Sitara Devi as well as the noted director and screen writer Phani Majumdar all of whom lived in Punjabi Galli. Many are not aware that P. Jairaj who starred in movies of the 40's & 50's and a winner of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was a nephew to Sarojini Naidu. Whilst Phani Majumdar had made a name for himself in New Theaters, Calcutta before shifting to Bombay.

Later, Mithun Chakravarty lived in a building neighbouring K. N. Singh's, whilst Dr. Sinha who was a film producer and uncle to "sweet girl next door" Vidya Sinha also lived close-by.

Over time as Bombay expanded many actors in the mid-1950s made Bandra and Juhu, their new home. Availability of open plots meant they could build their own spacious and luxurious bungalows there.  Members of the Kapoor family too moved on with Raj Kapoor setting up his studio and residence in Chembur and, Shammi and Shashi Kapoor shifting to the Malabar Hill area of South Bombay. However, the aura of Punjabi Galli, also known as Actor’s Lane or Hollywood Lane will continue to live on, especially in the memory of many senior citizens as well as in the children of those who began their 'filmy career' in this nondescript lane.

The two Gateways of Bombay

Almost all Mumbaikars must have at some point of time visited the Gateway of India at Colaba. But very few know that there is another Gateway of India in Mumbai, at Gamdevi to be precise, a miniature version of the original, but built by the same man who constructed the one at Apollo Bunder.

       
                    

Yeshwantrao Harishchandra Desai worked as an Engineer in the Public Works Department of Bombay. Born in 1876 to a family of Architects and Engineers, he did his schooling at Wilson High School before joining his uncle as an unpaid assistant. Young Yeshwantrao showed his mettle when he was sent on a survey of a plot by his uncle, himself an honorary Assistant Engineer in the PWD. His work impressed an English officer who offered him a permanent job in the PWD at a handsome salary of Rs.10/- pm. But Yeshwantrao was not one to rest on his laurels. He decided to study further and applied for the Elementary Architecture Exam from the Sir J J School of Arts and later obtained the A.I.M.E. degree.

Yeshwantrao was fortunate to be at a very opportune time in the history of Bombay. Great buildings were coming up around the turn of the 19th century. And, many of these bear the mark of this outstanding civil engineer. The grand dome of the GPO building, a difficult piece of construction, is credited to him. The other monumental structure built during early 20th century, the Prince Wales Museum, also bears the stamp of his skill and competence.

With these accomplishments behind him it was only natural that when the King George V arrived in India in 1911 for the Delhi Durbar, the construction of the monument to be built to commemorate his landing at Apollo Bunder would be given to this talented engineer.

The architect of Gateway of India was a man of equally outstanding abilities, George Wittet who has also designed the Prince of Wales Museum. Construction of the Gateway began in 1913 and it took 11 years to build this beautiful triumphal arch.

The miniature Gateway of India which Yeshwantrao built at his residence was built with the same Malad Basalt stone which is used at Apollo Bunder. It was built when the construction of the Gateway of India began and it is said that this miniature model was perhaps used by him as a reference model.

Besides these two important landmarks of Bombay, he is also credited for building the Institute of Science and Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall.

For these achievements, he received high praise not only from his employers and architects but also from the government who conferred upon him the title Rao Sahib.

It can be truly said that for the magnificent designs of architects like F. W. Stevens and George Wittet to come alive, outstanding civil engineers like Yeshwantrao Harishchandra Desai were required.

Hunterwali Nadia

Much before movies with sound became the norm action movies were very much part of the silent era. As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words. But if there is someone best remembered for thrilling and awe-inspiring action scenes in early Indian cinema, it was Mary Ann Evans, better known as Fearless Nadia.

Born in 1910 in Perth, Australia to Scotsman Herbert Evans and Margaret, she spent her early years in Peshawar where she learnt to hunt, fish and shoot.

 

But before she became an action star, Mary Evans performed in Zacko’s Russian Circus. Later, she joined Madame Astrova’s ballet group which was touring the Asian subcontinent, doing live shows between silent films for British and Indian troops. She changed her name to Nadia after being advised by a fortuneteller. And ‘Fearless Nadia’ was a carry forward from her days as a circus acrobat.

 

Fearless Nadia burst onto the Indian screen in the 1930s brandishing whips, swords, guns and sometimes battling villains with her bare hands.

 

Her career in Hindi movies began as a chorus girl in a Wadia Movietone film. But the movie that launched her career in Hindi films was the 1935 stunt movie Hunterwali starring herself as a brave princess. Portrayed as ‘the protector of the poor and punisher of evildoers’ she was presented to the public as Fearless Nadia, a name that stuck to her for the rest of her film career. Much to the acclaim of audiences, as a masked heroine she battled soldiers, rode horses, jumped over a moving cart, fought with the bad guys on the roof of a train, all to defeat the villain. There was also a rare scene in Hunterwali of Nadia bathing nude in the river, something that was far ahead of its time but was cleared by the British censors.

 

With Hunterwali a great success, Wadia Movietone signed her up for more movies of a similar genre, some of the notable ones being Miss Frontier Mail (1936), Hurricane Hansa (1937), Lutaru Lalna (1938), Punjab Mail (1939) and Diamond Queen (1940). These movies not only enthralled the audiences but also changed the image of a woman on the screen. As a blonde, blue-eyed girl with Indian names such as Madhuri (Hunterwali), Savita (Miss Frontier Mail) and Madhurika (Diamond Queen), she championed the common man’s cause and fought for women’s rights, something unheard of and unseen in those pre-independence days. In Diamond Queen, she echoed this sentiment with the dialogue, ‘If India is to be free, women must be given their freedom. If you try and stop them, you’ll face the consequences'.

 

In an era when stunt doubles were unheard of, she used to perform the stunts herself. Many a time, she performed stunts that men were afraid of doing. And most of these stunts were shown as performed, without the use of trick photography. These dare-devil acts characterized her own brave and carefree spirit.

 

Her usual co-stars in these films were Master Mohammed, Atish Sayani, John Cawas, Boman Shroff, Jaidev (who later on went on to become a music composer), and a horse named Punjab ka beta. Whilst Mohammed played the role of an elder to Nadia, Atish Sayani was the villain, Jaidev in a supporting role and Boman Shroff or John Cawas played the hero and her love interest. But her real love interest in life was her director Homi Wadia whom she married in 1959 after a long-standing relationship.

 

After starring in more than 50 films she retired and, in true Fearless Nadia style, she took to breeding racehorses.

 

She passed away in 1996, her later years spent enjoying domestic life.

Bombay Bhel Puri

When one travels outside Mumbai there is a chance that one may come across a name on a food stall that reads “Bombay Bhel Puri”. Much before Vada Pav became the signature snack of Mumbai, Bhel Puri, or just called bhel was the chaat of choice for Bombayites. It was the go-to snack when outing at a park or beach. The multitude of people eating bhel at Girguam Chowpatty and Juhu beaches are a testimony to this. Over the years many streets in the city had their own bhelwala vending this chaat under a shady tree or a prime corner. Such was the popularity of Bhel Puri in Bombay that the name of the city got associated with it.

The word ‘Chaat’ is derived from the Hindi verb ‘Chaatna’, meaning to lick. And this chaat, like Mumbai’s diverse potpourri of immigrants from all over India, is a mixture of different ingredients, flavours and textures.

One of the earliest vendors of Bhel Puri in Bombay was Vithal Khadawala who came to this city from Surat in 1875, and sold bhel under a tree opposite New Empire Cinema near Victoria Terminus (now CSMT). He operated from there for many years until he was evicted by the Municipal Corporation in 1939, prompting him to move to a rented shop in the vicinity and start his own restaurant, eponymously called Vithal Bhelwala. Whilst Vithal Bhelwala is presently closed, one can sample Vithal’s Bhel next door at the Vithal’s Family Restaurant and Bar run by his descendants.

But, like other chaats, Bhel Puri is best enjoyed at a roadside stall. Besides eating it, the other joy comes from watching the vendor put it together in a paper cone made from pages of discarded magazines. The main ingredient is puffed rice to which he adds sev, crushed puris, diced onions, chopped boiled potatoes, sweet and spicy chutneys, all of which he mixes with a few firm twists of his hand before topping it off with a squeeze of lime, some more sev and finally coriander. Finely diced green mango is a welcome addition. And the way to eat is not with a spoon, but with a puri. This mixture tastes crunchy, soft, sweet, sour, and spicy all in the same bite creating a fusion of flavours in the mouth, and sometimes tears in the eyes which is quickly remedied with a handful of ‘sev-kurmura’ generously dispensed by the bhelwala.

Such are the emotions attached to this chaat that many people prefer to have it from a particular bhelwala, swearing that his bhel is the best in town. But no matter where you have it, this is one snack mixture that will always be connected to the soul of cosmopolitan Mumbai.

Raj Bhavans of Bombay

Raj Bhavans of Bombay

Many Mumbaikars as well as visitors to Mumbai have not visited a charming but grand colonial bungalow in a very scenic location, in the midst of flora and fauna, and surrounded by the sea on three sides. Yes, that’s Mumbai’s Raj Bhavan and it is open to visitors who need to take an early morning guided tour to see around this beautiful property.

The present Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra is situated at Malabar point, the tip of the Malabar Hill gradient. But in the last 355 years of Mumbai’s history, this is the fourth location on which the Governor’s residence stands.

When Humphrey Cooke became the first governor of the islands of Bombay in 1665, there was no residence officially marked for use by the governor. There existed a Government House which the Portuguese called the Manor House, but in 1665 this building was in a bad shape having been burnt down earlier by the Dutch and the British when they invaded the Portuguese held islands of Bombaim. Subsequently, this building, situated behind the Asiatic Society building in Fort was repaired, fortified and renamed Bombay Castle. It became the official residence of the English Governors of Bombay from 1674 onwards.

In 1757, the government of the day purchased John Spencer’s House at Apollo Street (now Bombay Samachar Marg) for use by the Governor, and renamed it New House. With the passage of time, as Bombay began to grow and the heart of the city, Fort became congested, Governor William Hornby preferring  “the climes at the occasional hot weather residence at Parell”, shifted residence there. However, the administration continued to function from New House for a few more decades before shifting to Parel. New House still stands, now occupied by many commercial firms, making it one of the oldest standing buildings in Mumbai.

In 1827, the Government House during the tenure of Sir John Malcolm moved entirely to Parel. This grand colonial building surrounded by gardens in the peace and quiet of an idyllic ‘suburb’ of Bombay was aptly called Sans Pareil, meaning without peer or beyond compare. It was indeed a grand mansion where “melody and mellifluous voices filled the Durbar Hall during gala evenings when china and crystal would glitter under the chandeliers in the Banquet Hall”. Many memorable events in Bombay’s colonial history took place at Sans Pareil. It was here that Governor Jonathan Duncan held a banquet in 1804 to launch The Literary Society of Bombay which is now known as the Asiatic Society.  It was in this building that the future King-Emperor Edward VII and the last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II were entertained when they visited Bombay. Sadly, with the mills coming up in and around Parel in the second half of the 19th century and the resultant rise in pollution, this place was abandoned in 1882 after the wife of Governor Lord James Fergusson died here of cholera. Like New House in Fort, the Government House at Parel still stands and is now known to us as the Haffkine’s Institute.

Governor Sir Richard Temple initiated the formal transfer of the Government House from Parel to Malabar Point. Marine Villa, the building that housed the early residence and office of the Governor stood on a fifty-acre property laced by beach and forest. Over the years many more structures were added to make it into a formidable administrative complex from where British Governors held sway over large swathes of Western India known as the Bombay Presidency.

Upon independence, Government House was renamed Raj Bhavan. The Raj Bhavan serves not only as a residence to the Governor of Maharashtra but also for visiting dignitaries such as the Prime Minister and the President of India, as well as visiting heads of state. Momentous occasions such as swearing-in ceremonies and functions felicitating litterateurs and artists are also held here.

The Mumbai Raj Bhavan has a precious collection of beautiful carpets, paintings, exquisitely carved doors and elegant French style chairs and sofas with intricate portraits on them, and is a treat to the lovers of art and history.

Most significantly, Mumbai’s Raj Bhavan at Malabar Point breathes a century and a half of history making it a must-visit destination for all wanting to know more about our city.

The Mumbai Local

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic suburban trains in Mumbai, generally called Locals, are not in service for general commuters. A few daily services though are run for those working in government departments or in essential services. And indeed, without this lifeline, Mumbai has come to a standstill. These Locals are an integral part of every Mumbaikar’s life, and though some do not use it themselves, they too depend on it. Think of it, the milkman, the newspaperwalla, the dabbawallas, our servants and others on whom we depend, rely on this untiring and reliable electric workhorse, just as generations before us have. Before the first electric Local was run on 3rd February 1925 between Victoria Terminus and Coorla, local services were operated using steam locomotives, as seen in the picture below. Originally the local services on the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway or BB&CI (now known as Western Railway) operated up to Colaba. With the closing of the Colaba Railway Station in 1930 the mainline services were terminated at the newly built Bombay Central terminus, whilst the suburban services extended up to Churchgate. Coming back to electrification, the electric local trains, known as Electric Multiple Units or EMUs, first began with the use of 1500V DC traction in 1925. Nearly 90 years later the entire suburban network of WR and CR was converted to the more efficient 25000V AC traction in line with that used in the rest of the country. Initially, each EMU rake consisted of 4 carriages. Later, as passengers increased, the number of carriages or cars was increased to 6, then 9 and 12, with a few trains running with 15 cars. Now over 7.6 million passengers are ferried daily by Western, Central, Harbour and Trans-Harbour suburban trains making it the busiest network in the world! And this network continues to expand as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region keeps growing. And so, till the Locals do not function on a regular basis, as they did before 22nd March, the pulse of Mumbai’s heartbeat will not be the same.

Bombay Talkies

BOMBAY TALKIES

With the advent of sound in movies, i.e. talkies, in the late 1920s, the stage had been set for the move from "silent to sound" in India. And in 1931 India's first talkie Alam Ara was produced by Imperial Movietone, a partnership firm of Ardeshir Irani and the three Rangwala brothers. In contrast, Himansu Rai set up Bombay Talkies as a Limited Company with eminent denizens of Bombay as its board of directors, and a professional set up in line with international film studios, making it unique amongst Indian film companies of those days. It also had the backing of financial institutions and paid out dividends to its shareholders from the third year of its incorporation in 1934.

Besides Himansu Rai, the studio boasted of star actress Devika Rani and ace German director, Franz Osten as well as several foreign technicians. Soon after it’s founding the studio gave its first hit, Achhut Kanya in 1936. This was followed by two more, Kangan in 1939 and Bandhan in 1940. These three hits also set a laboratory assistant of Bombay Talkies, Ashok Kumar to stardom. It also launched the career of two women, Leela Chitnis as an actress and Khursheed Minocher-Homji as Bollywood’s first and only Parsi music director who went by the name Saraswati Devi. Tragedy king Dilip Kumar too was first cast in a Bombay Talkies production, Jwar Bhata. And, Mehmood and Madhubala also got a break here.

But if there is one movie that Bombay Talkies will always be remembered for, it is the 1943 release Kismet. A fast-paced movie about two separated brothers going on “different paths”, ultimately to be reunited, was a major hit that ran for 3 consecutive years in a Calcutta theater! The song, Aaj Himalay Ki Choti Se penned by Pradeep, a disguised call to the British to quit India, found instant appeal amongst audiences.

Sadly for the studio, after the death of Himansu Rai in 1940, it was split into two production groups owing to differences between the people at the helm. And what would have been India’s answer to the major Hollywood studios like Warner Bros., United Artists, MGM, etc., eventually went defunct in 1953, before its last film Baadbaan was released a year later.