The Lost Service Providers of Bombay

The way we live and work undergoes significant change over time. Occupations that once flourished are now mostly forgotten as they do not contribute to the livelihood of most people anymore. Here are 4 such trades that once employed many in Bombay but are no longer relevant today.

All those who have visited the General Post Office before the proliferation of mobile phones would have noticed men perched on a stool on a pavement nearby, with some postal stationery, a pen, bottle of glue, stapler and seals. These men helped connect millions of migrants with their families back home through India’s vast postal network. Even locals unable to pen letters themselves used the services of these Professional Letter Writers. For a small fee, these writers would write letters in Hindi, Urdu, English and other native languages informing family, relatives and friends of happy occasions, sad news, promotions, ill health, money matters or on any issue their customers wanted to pour their heart out. In the absence of telephones in most parts of rural India, letters were the only means of communication for many poor people. The writers also doubled up as letter readers since an incoming letter had to be read should the receiver not be able to do so. And often, a reply to be given. Besides writing letters, they also helped customers send money orders, telegrams and invest in postal savings. Truly, they were the only link between many a lonely migrant and his family back home.

With the arrival of the mobile phone, its easy availability and affordability, almost everyone was soon connected. Thus the need to write letters to connect and communicate became redundant. As a result, the business of professional letter writers suffered. With the telegram and the postal money order discontinued, most of them have moved away from this profession, whilst others continue to eke out a living by stitching and sealing parcels, and writing that odd letter.

A visit to the kitchen today would reveal that steel and aluminium have replaced copper and brass vessels. Whilst elders waxed about the health benefits of cooking and having meals in copper and brass vessels, these vessels required regular maintenance. Once every few months, they had to be given a coating of tin to prevent the oxidization which occurred due to moisture. Besides, brass and copper also react to souring agents in the food. This is where the Kalaiwala or the Kalaigar came in. A travelling service provider, often accompanied by an assistant, he would move in different parts of the city advertising his services with a loud, elongated shout, Kalaaai. The process of tinning required a strip of tin, caustic soda and aluminium chloride. The vessel was first cleaned with caustic soda and water, then heated on coals fired up with air pumped from bellows. Once the vessel was hot aluminium chloride powder was sprinkled on the inside of the vessel and polished with a strip of tin using cotton cloth. The tin would melt leaving behind a fine film that would shine like silver. And the vessel was good to use for a few more months.  

Steel or aluminium vessels on the other hand do not require tinning and are easy to clean. Besides, with people staying in high rises and the lady of the house often out at work, the option of using copper or brass vessels which require regular tinning is not practical anymore.  

Today, when we want to spice up our food all we have to do is to open a packet of ground, powdered spices. But, not so a few decades ago when whole spices were purchased, dried and then ground at home, either by a member of the family or by professional spice grinders, usually women who would move from house to house with a wooden mortar and pestle. They would operate in groups of 2 or 3 and would pound the spice all at the same time but in turn. And the pounding sound would have a rhythmic beat to it. The whole spices would first be piled into the high walled mortar and then each lady would pound it with a long wooden pestle alternately until the spice was finely ground. This work was not only tiring but also detrimental to health. The ladies would cover their faces to avoid breathing in the finely powdered, but often pungent, spices. Whilst this service may still be available in rural areas, these ladies known as Masala Pisnewali Bais are no longer to be seen in Mumbai. Easy availability of a variety of powdered spices, both plain as well as blended, means that we do not need to stock up on whole spices and then grind them. And for those who want to do so, the electric mixer-grinder is always on hand.

Here is one profession that is still around but dying a slow death. The cotton carder or the Pinjari was the most visible of the four. In some places Pinjaris were also referred to as Dhuniyas and Bahnas. And they ensured that one had a good night's sleep on a soft cotton mattress or that we sat in comfort on our chairs and sofas before foam replaced cotton in furnishings. Pinjaris too roamed the towns and cities looking to redo mattresses and pillows, carding cotton by hand with the help of L shaped wooden bow-like instrument with a metal wire drawn across diagonally and a mallet. This instrument also served as a calling card to advertise their services. A pull of this wire produced a Twang like sound which would draw the attention of people around. The Pinjari would open up mattresses, quilts and pillows, remove the lumpy cotton within and pass the instrument through it to separate the fibres thereby restoring its fluffiness. Some also upholstered chairs and sofas besides carding cotton. With the arrival of Rubber and PU foam cotton was no longer the preferred choice for beddings and furnishings. Some Pinjaris upgraded themselves to mattress dealers in keeping with the changing times whilst many others realised that their children were reluctant to take up this profession thus leading to its slow oblivion.

However, all is not lost. We have others, like the Bhangarwala / Kabadiwala who helps us rid our homes of  unwanted stuff , the Churiwala who sharpens knives and scissors and the Bhishti who quenches our thirst from the water in his goat skin pouch, still roaming the streets of Mumbai and reminding us of the itinerant service providers of days gone by.

Bhoole Bisre Geetkar

As I listened to Bhoole Bisre Geet, a music program on Vividh Bharti featuring popular songs of yesteryears, I reminisced about those lyricists who wrote such meaningful and captivating songs for Hindi cinema. The names that immediately came to mind were Majrooh Sultanpuri, Shakeel Badayuni, Shailendra, Sahir Ludhianvi, Rajendra Kishan, Hasrat Jaipuri, Kaifi Azmi and Kavi Pradeep. However, besides these songsmiths, there were other brilliant lyricists who, like some of the songs they wrote, are forgotten today. As I look back, here are a few Geetkars whose compositions we still hum but cannot easily recall their names.

Who can forget those evergreen numbers from Kashmir Ki Kali? Songs like “Diwana Hua Badal”, “Taarif Karun Kya Uski” have gone down as unforgettable melodies which were penned by Shamsul Huda, better known as S. H. Bihari. A resident of Madhupur in Jarkhand (earlier Bihar), Bihari was an Urdu poet and lyricist who wrote many memorable romantic songs for Hindi movies often pairing with noted music director O P Nayyar, better known for his rhythmic tunes. He began his lyrical journey in Hindi cinema with the 1954 movie Shart in which he gave the hit song "Na Yeh Chand Hoga, Na Taare Rahenge". Later for the 1962 box office hit Ek Musafir Ek Hasina he penned "Bahut Shukriya Badi Meherbani" which remains popular even today. But his crowning glory was the 1964 Shammi Kapoor - Sharmila Tagore super hit Kashmir Ki Kali in which he gave us some of the most seductively alluring romantic songs picturised in Hindi cinema. Later, for three movies released in 1966, Sawan Ki Ghata, Mohabbat Zindagi Hai and Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, he penned enduring lyrics like "Zulfon ko Hataa le Chehare Se", "Zara Haule Haule Chalo More Sajna" and "Yehi Woh Jagah Hai Yehi Woh Fiza Hai". And whilst he went on to write lyrics for songs in Hindi movies for two more decades, some of which we hear even today, he slowly faded from the limelight as other poets like Anand Bakshi and Gulzar took centerstage.

During the 1960s and early 70s, when patriotism was often the theme in Hindi movies, many songs echoed this sentiment through lyrics that roused nationalist fervour. And a lyricist known for his patriotic verse was Prem Dhawan. Dhawan, born in Ambala in 1923, was a multitalented personality. He began his career with the Indian Peoples Theater Association and later learnt music from the maestro Ravi Shankar. Though he got a break in Hindi cinema with the K A Abbas' 1946 release Dharti Ke Laal he came into his own in 1961 with the song "Aye Mere Pyaare Watan", now often heard on Republic and Independence day, which he penned for the film Kabuliwala. Another popular number "Chhodo Kal Ki Baaten, Kal Ki Baat Poorani" from the film Hum Hindustani released in the same year urged the nation to break free from the past and move forward towards a glorious future. But it was his association with actor Manoj "Bharat" Kumar that he made a name for himself. Not only did he write lyrics for Manoj Kumar, but also composed music for his movie Shaheed which has the iconic song "Mera Rang de Basanti Chola" penned by him. Apart from being a lyricist and composer, Dhawan acted in two movies; Lajawab in 1950 and Goonj Oothi Shehnai released in 1959. The year 1970 was a big year for Dhawan what with the release of Purab Paschim, Mera Naam Joker and the Punjabi film Nanak Dhukhiya Sub Sansar which won him the National Film Award for Best Lyrics. And though he continued to write lyrics and compose music for Hindi and Punjabi movies in the 70s and 80s, his peak as a lyricist and composer was well past him.

Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo, the foot-tapping flirty number picturized on Helen and sung by Geeta Dutt in the film Howrah Bridge was written by Qamar Jalalabadi. Qamar, whose real name was Om Prakash Bhandari, was born in 1917 in Jalalabad, a village in Amritsar district. He began writing poetry from the tender age of seven. A wandering poet Amar Chand Amar acknowledging his craft gave him the pen name Qamar, meaning moon. As was the trend with poets in those days Qamar suffixed the name of his village to his pen name. Realising that the film industry offered an opportunity to poets like him he came to Bombay in the 1940s where he penned lyrics for the next 40 years. Some of his early memorable songs include "Sunti Nahi Duniya Kabhi Fariyaad Kissi Ki", "Dil Kis Liye Rota Hai...Pyar Ki Duniya Me Aisa Hi Hota Hai" and "Ek Dilke Tukde Hazaar Huye, Koyi Yahan Gira Koyi Wahan Gira". But it wasn’t that his repertoire included only sad songs. He showed his versatility with the romantic "Dil Le Gaya Koi Dil Le Gaya" sung by Suraiya and Shamshad Begum for the film Sanam, or the boisterous "Khush Hai Zamana Aaj Pehli Tarikh Hai" which was sung by Kishore Kumar in his inimitable style for Pehli Tarikh. Radio Ceylon popularised it by playing the song at the beginning of every month for many years! But the turning point in his career came in 1958 with Howrah Bridge. Besides "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo", the seductive "Aaiye Meherbaan, Baithiye Janejaan" sung by Asha Bhosale became an instant hit. His other evergreen songs that are played even now are "Ek Pardesi Mera Dil Le Gaya" from Phagun, "Mein to Ek Khwab Hoon" from Himalay Ki God Mein, "Deewane Se Yeh Mat Poocho" from Upkar and the chart-buster "Dum Dum Diga Diga Mausam Bheega Bheega" from Chalia. 

Qamar Jalalabadi enriched Hindi and Punjabi cinema with nearly 700 songs in 156 films, his last one being the Punjabi film Qahar which was released in 1995.

Like these three Geetkars, there were many others who wrote endearing lyrics for film songs in all genres, whose words we still remember but sadly cannot recall their creator.

Bombay's Native Trees

In the aftermath of cyclone Tauktae which hit Mumbai on the 9th / 10th of May, it was noticed that many of the trees uprooted were not native to Mumbai.

Before Bombay became India's financial and commercial capital, it was a cluster of seven islands with fishing and agriculture as the main occupations. Many areas on these islands were forested and were home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Prior to the new species of plants and trees that were introduced, first by the Portuguese and later by the British, the green cover was made up of local or native plants and trees such as Pimpal, Hirda, Coconut, Amla, Tamarind, Mango, Bor, Fanas, Champa, Bakul, Saag, etc. As the soil here suited these trees, they could take root more firmly and thus resist the high-velocity winds that normally accompany cyclones and storms.

Here is a brief look at some of these native trees which have lent their names to streets and areas in Mumbai.

Fanaswadi in Kalbadevi is known for its temple devoted to Lord Venkateshwara. Fanas in Marathi means Jackfruit and the name Fanaswadi indicates a time when the Jackfruit trees grew abundantly here. These trees are well suited to tropical regions. With a relatively short trunk encased in smooth reddish-brown bark, they bear large oblong fruits which can weigh up to 50 kgs. The yellow coloured fleshy petals that grow inside the fruit are sweet, and along with the kernel inside it, are used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking. 

Chinchbunder and Chinchpokli are areas that derive their name from the Chinch or Tamarind tree which once were numerous on these islands. This tree is reported to be indigenous to tropical Africa but has been growing on the Indian subcontinent for so long that it is considered a native here. Surprisingly, the name Tamarind is said to be a corruption of the Arabic word "Tamar-al-Hindi", meaning Indian date. The tree produces a brown, pod-like fruit that contains a sweet, tangy fibrous pulp that is used in cuisines, especially in chutneys and condiments, in many parts of the world. Besides, this pulp has medicinal properties too. And in many Indian homes, it is also used to polish utensils. As with most tropical trees, the Tamarind grows well in the sun, rising to a height of 40 to 60 feet. Besides fruit, the tree also sprouts red and yellow flowers and evergreen coloured leaves that fold at night.

Borbhat lane in Girgaon is a reminder of the Bor or Indian Jujube trees that were once here. A popular fruit with school children, the Bor or Ber as is known in the north, is red in colour with a prominent round seed-bearing stone encased in its wrinkled skin. The tree itself is not very tall but quite hardy and can cope with rainy as well as dry conditions. It grows quickly and can produce fruits within 3 years. An unusual trait here is that the fruits ripen at different times on a single tree. The fruits, at first green, turn yellow and finally red as they ripen, and have a sweet-sour taste. A single tree can produce between 5000 to 10000 fruit a year! Besides fruit, the tree also bears tiny yellow flowers.

Champa, a popular and well-known flower in India has a street named after itself in Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar precinct - Champa Galli. The popularity of this flower is not restricted to India alone. Champa is the national flower of Laos where it is called Dok Champa. Speaking of the tree, it is deciduous, meaning it sheds its leaves annually and has been widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical climates where it is a popular garden and street plant. It grows as a spreading tree to about 23–26 ft high and is flush with fragrant flowers which besides being used in garlands and as a hairdo, are also offered in temples and religious rituals. These sweetly scented flowers are white with a yellow centre though now hybrid varieties yield different colours. 

Tardeo, an area in central Mumbai similarly gets its name from the Tad tree or Toddy Palm which is commercially exploited for its sap. The sap when fermented produces Toddy wine or Tadi, a mildly intoxicating beverage that was popular with the original natives of the erstwhile seven islands. The tree, which has a trunk like a pole and fan-shaped leaves, also produces a fruit locally know as Tadgola. It is a soft fruit resembling a wobbly ice-ball that is a natural thirst quencher and a great summer cooler. 

Now, with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation deciding to plant native trees in the city, especially in place of those uprooted in the recent cyclones, Mumbaikars can look forward to fewer tree falls during the monsoons and cyclonic storms.

Scandals that rocked Bombay

The city of Mumbai is no stranger to scandals. Just as newspapers and television channels were agog with the Sachin Vaze scandal recently, scandals in the past too have grabbed the attention of the people and the press alike.

One of the most notorious scandals of the Victorian era was the Arthur Crawford Scandal.

Arthur Travers Crawford, Bombay’s first Municipal Commissioner (1865–71), was credited with improving the city’s infrastructure and sanitation. One of Bombay’s most popular marketplaces, the Crawford Market, was built during his tenure as Municipal Commissioner and was named after him (it is now renamed Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market). However, the ambitious and flamboyant Crawford, later as a Revenue Commissioner, found himself at the center of an enquiry accusing him of receiving bribes from Indian officials involved in the colonial administration. Crawford was charged with taking money from Mamlatdars and other subordinate officials in lieu of giving them preferential posts or allowing them to continue in certain departments. The enquiry against him opened in 1880 and he was tried before a special commission headed by Justice Wilson of the Calcutta High Court. Subsequently, though he was acquitted by the commission, the then Governor of Bombay, Lord Reay removed his name from the ranks of civil servants in India. Facing ignominy, Arthur Crawford who had served in many roles in the Bombay administration, retired to London where he passed away in 1911.

The 1920s saw another scandal that involved a heady combination of love, murder and royalty.

In January 1925 a businessman, Abdul Kader Bawla was travelling with his mistress when his car was blocked by two other cars at Malabar Hill. A few men emerged from them and tried to abduct his mistress, Mumtaz Begum. In the scuffle that ensued, Bawla was mortally wounded. Mumtaz however had a lucky escape when a few English military officers returning from a game of golf came to her rescue. This murder and attempted abduction caused a sensation, especially because all the nine men identified as the assailants were connected to the princely state of Indore. Investigations revealed that Mumtaz Begum was a “singing girl” who performed at the court of Tukojirao III and later became his mistress. After spending a decade at the Indore court she fled and came to Mumbai where she was in a live-in relationship with Bawla.

Besides sentencing the accused, the Judge hearing the case alluded that there “may be other persons who were interested in kidnapping Mumtaz and that Indore was the place from where the attack emanated". The press too was quick to point out the connection between the murder and attempted kidnapping, and the Maharaja. This left the British government with no option but to act. Maharaja Tukojirao III was told either to accept the commission of enquiry or voluntarily abdicate, which he did in 1926 thus bringing a sordid saga of Royal obsession to an end.

A similar scandal of romance and murder would make headlines some 34 years later when naval commander Kavas Nanavaty shot dead his wife's lover, businessman Prem Ahuja. Both these scandals were later re-enacted on the screen. Mumtaz's tale was retold in the movie Kulin Kanta whilst the Nanavaty episode formed the basis of 3 movies, Yeh Raste Hain Pyar Ke, Achanak and Rustom.

With India gaining independence, civil servants and Royalty were less in the news than were politicians. And one such scandal involving an incumbent Chief Minister erupted in 1981.

Abdul Rehman Antulay was elected Chief Minister of Maharashtra in June 1980. A known loyalist of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay, he launched a trust, Indira Gandhi Pratibha Pratishthan. It was a time when cement was in short supply and cement quotas were allocated to builders. Allegations soon surfaced that Antulay favoured those who made contributions to this trust for receiving quotas. Surprisingly, these allegations came from within the ruling Congress Party. Maratha leaders in the Congress upset with a shift in the balance of power accused Antulay of misuse of office. Noted advocate Ram Jethmalani too jumped in the fray. Claiming to take up the matter to expose the corruption in the Congress Party, he agreed to fight the case for free. Besides the strictures passed by the Bombay High Court, the involvement of the name of the first family of the Congress Party, namely the Gandhis sealed Antulay’s fate. He resigned as Chief Minister in January 1982.

Now, with news beaming all day one can be certain that more scandals will emerge from a society that is fast-changing, restless and ambitious. 

Bombay's Traffic Circles

When driving in the city was a breeze, and parking easily available due to fewer vehicles, roundabouts or traffic circles were built to smoothly guide the traffic arriving from different roads onto the junctions. Besides, they were a quiet oasis of green in the centre of noisy traffic. Some circles also had a fountain adding to their charm. Here are some of these traffic circles which most of us Mumbaikars must have passed by at some point in time.

Jacob Circle, situated near Mahalaxmi Station, is commonly known as Saat Rasta as one can access seven different roads from here. It got its name from Sir George Le Grand Jacob, a military General and a scholar who is credited to have transcribed the Ashokan rock inscription in Girnar, Gujarat. There was a fountain in the circle, at present not visible, which was donated by Sir George's adopted daughter. On this circle, we now have a small garden known as the Sant Gadge Maharaj Udyan.

Wellington Circle opposite Regal cinema at the northern end of Colaba was named after the iconic Wellington Memorial Fountain which stands within this traffic island. The fountain was built in the 1860s to honour the memory, and to commemorate the military achievements of the Duke of Wellington. The fountain marks the site where the Duke camped in a tent during his two visits to Bombay in 1801 and 1804. To the east of Wellington Circle stands the Gateway of India, whilst to its north is the Prince of Wales Museum. All those who have shopped at Colaba Causeway must have surely been past this one.

                                           

Flora Fountain was once a circular traffic roundabout in Fort with an exquisitely sculpted fountain at its centre. Mumbai's most visible icon is named after the Roman Goddess of flowers whose statue stands atop the fountain. The fountain designed by Richard Norman Shaw was constructed in 1864 from funds donated by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh. It stands at the junction of Veer Nariman Road (formerly Churchgate Street), M. G. Road (Esplanade) and D. N. Road (Hornby Rd). Grand Victorian structures such as the Bombay High Court, The Central Telegraph Office and the Oriental Building envelop this iconic fountain.

                                               

Horniman Circle lies a few hundred meters to the east of Flora Fountain on what was earlier known as the Bombay Green. Before independence, it was known as Elphinstone Circle after Governor Lord Elphinstone. The circle enclosed a garden (and still does) with an ornamental fountain and a bandstand which made it quite popular with the Parsi community. The Asiatic Society and the Reserve Bank of India lie across the road from here. Between Flora Fountain and Horniman Circle stands Bombay's oldest Anglican church, St. Thomas Cathedral.

CP Tank or Cowasjee Patel Tank Circle stands in the Bhuleshwar area at the junction of V. P. Road, Khadilkar Road and C. P. Tank Road. Earlier, a water tank that supplied drinking water to the Girgaum area existed here. Hence the name. The tank was built by Cowasji Rustamjee Patel in 1775-6 making it the oldest tank constructed in Bombay. Once, the city had many water tanks which were a source of water for its residents before piped water was made available.

Haji Ali Circle used to be a large traffic circle with a beautifully designed garden in it. The circle was replaced by a multi-signal junction as traffic increased in the late 1980s. It was located at the meeting point of five roads with heavy traffic: Lala Lajpatrai Marg (Hornby Vellard) from the north, Warden Road from the southwest, Pedder Road from the south, Tardeo Road from the east, and Dr E Moses Rd from the northeast. The Haji Ali Dargah, a mosque and dargah of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari is located on an islet west of this circle.

                                           

Khodadad Circle in Dadar East was earlier known as Dadar TT as trams coming from South Bombay terminated here. It is named after Khodadad Irani whose sons were developers in this area. Tilak Road and Babasaheb Ambedkar Road meet at Khodadad Circle, over which now stands the Jagannath Sunkersheth Flyover. Agarwal Classes, a much sought after coaching class in the 1970s, 80s and 90s was located just off this circle.

King's Circle, named after British monarch King George V, stands at the junction of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road (formerly Vincent Road) and Bhandarkar Road. Situated around the circle are the many popular South Indian Udupi Restaurants: Cafe Mysore, Cafe Madras and Anand Bhuvan. In 1962 the circle was renamed B N Maheshwari Udyan and true to its name there is a well laid out garden here.

Turner Road Circle. A roundabout at the junction of Turner Road, SV Road and Linking road was known as Turner Road Circle. On one side of this circle was the Esso (now HP) Petrol Pump, and on the other was Coin Tea and the Tata Blocks. This circular patch of green was removed in the late 1960s or early 70s.

                                          

As Mumbai's population and the number of vehicles increased some of these circles had to make way for a modern system of traffic management and sadly we lost some of our city's landmarks.

Bombay's First Mass Vaccination Drive

Today, just as thousands of Mumbaikars are queueing up everyday to get vaccinated for the Novel Corona Virus, a similar situation arose a century and a quarter ago when the city was in the midst of the bubonic plague epidemic.

Like the Corona Virus 2019 or Covid 19, the bubonic plague also is thought to have originated in China where it spread in the mainland before reaching the Chinese port cities in about 1894. From there it eventually reached India via the ships trading between the two countries and was first detected in Bombay in 1896.

Dr. Acacio Gabriel Viegas, a Goan born medical practitioner having his clinic in Mandvi (the area east of Mohammad Ali Road) was the first doctor to have identified the infection as bubonic plague. As the disease spread rapidly taking a heavy toll on lives it was designated as an epidemic. In fear, many fled the city just as we saw an exodus of people from Mumbai in the summer of 2020. Trade and commerce in the city were affected then as they did last year. The textile industry which depended on manpower was grounded. There was fear all around.

Dr. Viegas who had correctly identified this disease quickly swung into action. He launched a campaign to clean up the slums and chawls and to rid the affected areas of rats. It helped that besides being a medical practitioner, Dr. Viegas was also a Municipal Councilor. Besides these initiatives, he also continued to tend to patients at great personal risk.

Meanwhile, the government sought to reconfirm Dr. Viegas' diagnoses with other experts and once it was established that it was indeed the bubonic plague, it lost no time in inviting the Ukrainian bacteriologist Dr. Waldemar Haffkine, then stationed in Calcutta, to Bombay. Dr. Haffkine who had earlier formulated a vaccine for Cholera was asked to develop one for the plague. He got to work in a makeshift laboratory set up in the corridors of the Grant Medical College. His approach to finding a solution to conquer the infection was through preventive inoculation. He studied the infected rats and extracted the bacteria which was then allowed to grow before being weakened by heating. This weakened bacteria would then be inoculated in an uninfected human which in turn would produce antibodies in the body needed to fight the bacteria.

Finally, when the vaccine was ready Dr. Haffkine tried it first on himself. However, not all were convinced and there was another hurdle to overcome before mass vaccinations could begin. Many people were not convinced of its efficacy, some due to religious superstitions, and thus finding volunteers for clinical trials proved difficult. So, prison inmates were roped in and after trials on them and some volunteers, the vaccine was ready for use on the general public.

Here again, the good Dr. Viegas played a pivotal role by vaccinating about 18000 people himself. By 1902/3 about half a million people were vaccinated which is a considerable number given the demographics and the reach of the day. Sadly, despite the efforts of the government and individuals alike, about 50000 people died in Bombay alone. Many more, especially amongst the working class, fled the city thus severely crippling the economic activity. The scene then held a mirror to what we have experienced in the past year.

For the government of the day, the priority was not only to find a cure but also to contain the spread of the plague. And measures quite similar to the ones we are experiencing now were enforced by the authorities. Pilgrimage to Mecca was prohibited and so was emigration from India, railway bookings stood cancelled, religious gatherings were banned and a strict check was kept on essential commodities to prevent hoarding. Further, to check the spread orders were issued to separate the infected from the healthy. And those who were in close contact with the patients were quarantined.

 

However, all this did not go as smoothly as envisaged. Overzealous British officers and soldiers often behaved rudely and forcefully with the general public as well as with patients. To compound this, arrangements at the hospitals and quarantine camps were found to be substandard. The government's heavy-handed approach caused much public discontent which took a turn for the worst when in Poona the Chapekar brothers shot dead that city's Plague Commissioner, Walter Charles Rand accusing him of inconsiderate and highhanded behaviour.

The bubonic plague finally petered out by 1905 but not before taking a heavy toll on the city and its inhabitants. However, this black swan event made the authorities sit up and take notice of the pathetic living conditions in many poorer areas of the city. Consequently, the Bombay City Improvement Trust was created to upgrade the sanitary and living conditions in Bombay.

Gratefully, the heroes of the day were not forgotten. Dr. Viegas went on to become the President of the Bombay Municipal Corporation in 1906. After he died in 1933, a statue honouring him was built which still stands opposite Metro Cinema at Dhobi Talao, and a street in Chira Bazaar is named after him. As for Dr. Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine, the country's first biomedical research institute is named after him. The British Government whilst recognising his efforts awarded him the Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1897. The Indian Government too honoured him with a postal stamp in 1964.

     

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.