Mahjong mania: Tracing the game's growing popularity in Mumbai

Teacher Nita Kapadia learnt the game playing with Army wives in the cantonment area of Aurangabad 1978. Pic/Atul Kamble

Most spiffy South Mumbai clubs have serpentine waitlists for membership. Now there is another waiting list within that list - The Mahjong waitlist, which is many tiles long. Mahjong is a tile game played by four players, believed to have developed in 19th century China. There are some regional variations too, such as the online American version. Largely though, the Asian Mahjong version is played in our clubs.

The game has been played by some for years, but lately it has zoomed up the popularity charts like a song on steroids. Bridge ace Hema Deora, who started learning four months ago, says, "Mahjong has gone viral not online but offline. We now have waiting lines at Mumbai clubs for those who want to learn it." Mahjong's "technique, skill requirement and use of memory" is what makes it mentally stimulating for her. "There are Mahjong lessons at clubs and many are learning at home too, with teachers visiting for lessons," says Deora, "My Mahjong journey began with what killed the cat - curiosity. I was driven to learn as I was simply curious to know what the game was all about. I am still learning. It is evident that the game keeps the grey cells ticking."

A trickle of enquiries about Mahjong at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) turned into a flood and then a veritable tsunami. Ashwin Mehta, honorary secretary, cards committee at the Churchgate club, decided to surf the gigantic wave. "A year ago, members started asking if they could learn and play at the club. I made enquiries and decided that it would work if we started lessons at this venue. I did not want to introduce lessons at fees that would frighten the members though," he said with a laugh.

For bridge ace Hema Deora, who started learning four months ago, the exciting part of playing Mahjong is the technique, skill requirement and use of memory. Her teacher is Monica Jain (in pink). Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

The CCI now has classes comprising 10 lessons of two hours each, encapsulating the basics of the tile game. "We continue to have member enquiries," Mehta says, "Within four months, 80 people have learnt the game. The club also bought its own set. The desi Mahjong sets are priced at Rs 11,000 or thereabouts. The imported sets, which are classy, are in the range Rs 17,000 to Rs 20,000. We also have two tutors and a dedicated time slot for the game." The secretary added that it is early days for the game in the club. "I am contemplating tourneys within the club," he says, "like we have for bridge or rummy. This will encourage freshers. There will be depth of participation too, as we have long waiting lists for learners. In fact, some even have a FOMO (fear of missing out)."

This FOMO is not infecting men, though. For reasons nobody can quite explain, the gender ratio is askew, with more women playing the game with just a smattering of men.

The Mahjong winds are still to blow from Willingdon Club to RWITC (Royal Western India Turf Club) across the road. When a gent at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) was asked whether Mahjong was played at the Mini Turf Club, part of the RWITC complex on their Mahalaxmi premises, he replied in the negative. "I know what that is, it is a game all these ladies play," he added.

Mahjong teacher Ritu Jaggia says that Mahjong teaches you to "let go of certain tiles. There is a life lesson in learning to let go". Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

One of the ladies playing it for 45 years is teacher Nita Kapadia. "I learnt the game from Army wives in Aurangabad," says Kapadia of her journey's genesis. "We used to play Mahjong in the cantonment area in 1978. That was the first time I saw a set and was fascinated. There was an upside to learning from Army wives - the discipline of the defence forces was their code of living too, and that discipline, dedication and focus became part of my learning process."

Kapadia carried more than her belongings when she returned home to Mumbai in 2002; she had with her the Mahjong mojo. She began teaching enthusiasts in their homes and in January 2023, compiled the Willingdon Sports Club Mahjong Handbook. "It has the basics of the game," explains the teacher, "though the game can get very complex, and at times, rules may differ for different versions, so the handbook is a beacon of guiding light in the challenging Mahjong sea."
Kapadia estimates that the Willingdon Club already has at least 140 playing members and 116 on the waitlist. "I wish I could teach everybody," she says. More South Mumbai clubs are introducing the game.

The game is finding favour elsewhere too. The Ratan Tata Institute (RTI) at Hughes Road (Babulnath) has already said "Mahjong? Me too!" and there are five tables set. "Grandmothers, mothers and some others," defines Kapadia as the demographic at RTI.

A recurrent theme amongst those explaining the urge and surge for the game were the social barriers brought on by the COVID-19-induced lockdown. "There was a longing for interaction once it was lifted," Kapadia says, "For too long, we had been left alone with our devices, which had already whetted appetites for the game with online versions and apps. It was ‘masks off, Mahjong on' for the club circuit who made their way back to their homes away from home, and many got their first taste of the game."

The game keeps you alert and sharp, and Kapadia urges her students to play with everyone. "Today, Indians travelling to Dubai or Singapore seek out clubs to play the game," said Kapadia stressing how the game has given rise to fluid borders. "These are ti(l)es that bind."

"Stay calm and play Mahjong" became Malabar Hill Club's credo in July this year. The club, the proverbial stone's throw away from Hanging Gardens, lent an ear to its members and introduced the game very recently. "Contrary to perception that this is a game for our golden oldies, there are young persons who showed an interest in learning and playing," said Payal Kanojia, chief executive officer (CEO) of the club. "We now have a dedicated group of Mahjong learners and there is a waiting list too." Kanojia thinks the game may soon rival the club's open decker sandwiches and sev puri in popularity. For her, the complexity of the game is a big draw. "It's tricky, and that's the real lure," she says.

"Add strategy and thinking to that adjective," says Mahjong teacher Ritu Jaggia. The SoBo resident started playing Mahjong before the lockdown. "I was playing American Mahjong online during the lockdown, and then went back to the Asian version once the pandemic was over," she says. Besides the cerebral aspect, Jaggia became a Mahjong-ian because, "basically it is a fun, social game." Then, standing first in a tourney at the Willingdon Club in 2023 "proved a huge confidence booster. People really missed the human factor during lockdown, and the game simply took off. I started teaching too, and learnt that there was a teacher in me, and today I go to people's homes to expand the Mahjong community."

Like all new endeavours, Mahjong has been a journey of self-discovery for Jaggia, transcending the rules. "One of the takeaways," she says, "is that you need to let go of certain tiles. There is a life lesson in learning to let go."

And with this, Jaggia brings a philosophical finish.