Mumbai: It’s curtains for a beloved Bandra market

Jignesh Shah (right) and Motilal Bhatt, who run Beauty Gifts, a cosmetics shop, at the Shastri Nagar municipal market in Bandra East. Pic/Nimesh Dave

A row of 59 rundown shops on Babasaheb Shinde Marg near Government Colony in Bandra East will soon make way for a swanky commercial tower. Shopkeepers who occupy the spot have accepted the terms and are vacating the premises with a heavy heart. Some are relocating while others are shutting shop for good. All looked back on the glory days and shed light on how the market played a significant role in careers small and big and how the place had been a hub for celebrities, on and off.

Called the Shastri Nagar municipal market, the plot has 59 licenced shops and earlier a fish market shed too. The BMC's markets department records suggest the market existed since 1980. "It was in 1974 that we came to know that a theatre was to come up here. It was called Kalamandir. We were young. Mya and I set up a shop here. We knew it would be lucrative once the theatre came up and we succeeded. I remember the road was narrow and we all settled well before the theatre was opened," recalled Suresh Gawde, one of the earliest shopkeepers here.

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The BMC's markets department records suggest the market existed since 1980

"The theatre opened the subsequent year and I remember the first movie to be released there was the Randhir Kapoor-starrer Hamrahi. Oh my, my! Those were the days with crowds around and the sparkling new theatre drawing the who's who from Bandra and nearby suburbs. I still remember the entire Kapoor family had come down here to watch the first show. We benefited from the theatre and stayed put," he remembered.

As the theatre thrived, the municipal corporation slapped notices on the shopkeepers in a bid to get rid of them. Those were the days when the Shiv Sena was building its strength by helping advance the causes of the Marathi manoos. "We protested but there was no respite after which we approached Shiv Sena leader Wamanrao Mahadik. He was the Shiv Sena's first elected representative [in the Assembly, from Parel constituency in 1969-70] and he promptly offered help and joined our protest. The problem was solved, but the municipal threats continued," Gawde recalled.

"There were about 54 shops and later a few more sprung up. We then approached Bal Thackeray. He was the ultimate solution, and he lived here at Kalanagar. On the day demolition was to be carried out, Balasaheb came down here himself and warned the authorities. The task was done. After that we never had any trouble," he added.

Hemraj Nisar, whose stationery store used to be an audio and video cassette shop at the Shastri Nagar municipal market in Bandra East

A shopkeeper, Manohar Devadiga, said, "Ours has been a popular shop as we were the only ones with an STD booth and fax machines. The MIG colony of Bandra East, the Sahitya Sahawas, has been a popular place for Marathi litterateurs, authors and cricketers. It is a matter of pride to tell you that Sachin Tendulkar's elder brother Ajit has been a regular visitor, and he used to send faxes to Sachin when he was abroad from this very place," said Gawde. Sachin's career was greatly aided by Ajit, who was a source of inspiration during his formative years.

"Our shop, which had a fax machine and STD booth as well as the cigarette shop was a popular joint and a networking place for one and all. Society meetings and social gatherings used to take place here. While the communication centre was where one could make long-distance calls, one could buy expensive foreign cigarettes, which were popular in those days, at the cigarette shop," Devadiga added.

"Those were the good old days when Balasaheb Thackeray used to walk around this place with his Dobermann," Gawde adds. Hemraj Manshi Nisar used to run an audio and video cassette library since the 1980s, and this was also a haunt for celebrities of all kinds. "Oh, you name them [movie titles, music albums], and we had them. The shop is now a stationary store. It is still popular," Nisar said.

Suresh Gawde, one of the original shopkeepers. Pics/Nimesh Dave

"Sachin was particular about Jackie Chan and Marathi movies. He was a big fan of both and used to come for the cassettes. Actor Milind Gunaji and his wife come by even now. Sachin's brother Ajit still picks up things from my shop," said Motilal Bhatt, who has been Nisar's colleague since the 1980s. "Many of the old faces are coming down to meet us. The other day, Ajit Tendulkar dropped by to say he would be missing the place," added Nisar.

Another shop owner, Jignesh Shah, who runs Beauty Gifts, a cosmetics shop, said, "Given the dynamics of the market, we will not be able to continue running the shop. But this place has given us some of the best years of my life. In July 2005, when Mumbai was flooded, our shop was inundated. I was younger in those days but still have vivid memories. It started in the evening of July 25 and the by next day, the water was neck-high. We could salvage some of the wares in the attic, but there were losses," Shah recalled.

Another shop that has connections with the powerful is Ujala Mattresses and Furnishings, one of the first big furniture shops in the locality. The first throne used by Bal Thackeray at his residence Matoshree was made here. "We have made furniture for a lot of famous politicians, including the Thackerays. Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale's house is nearby and many other leaders stay in Bandra East. "Well, we have done what we had to do and we take pride in our work, but there is no point getting into detail. We are leaving the place, so let the past remain in the past," the shop owner concluded.