Birju Shaw, owner of ‘A Book Shop’ greets his customers with a warm smile and is always open to recommending good books to the readers. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
“I came to Mumbai only to meet Salman Khan. I am originally from Bihar. When I left home for a short trip to Mumbai in 2002, I had told my friends that I wouldn’t return without meeting him,” says Birju Shaw, whose dream has now made him a proud Mumbaikar, who also happens to be the owner of 'A Book Shop' located in Bandra (Waroda Road)
It’s been 10 years now that he has his store in the suburb and it's helped him get a glimpse of the actor on many occasions but still not close enough to meet him. He says, “Although I did see him in his apartment more often, I have not once approached him as I have always entered the building for my work. I fear that what if I get prohibited from entering the premises?”
Shaw has come a long way. It started with a job at a bookstore in South Mumbai only so that he was able to survive in the city. It's the only job that Shaw, who has studied in a Hindi medium school in Bihar but failed his 10th standard, could take up at that time. In Mumbai, he set up his first bookshop at Flora Fountain, popularly known for booksellers. However, a raid by the city’s municipal corporation compelled all the booksellers including Shaw to set up their stalls elsewhere in Mumbai
This is how Shaw landed in Bandra. He says, “I used to roam around the city in search of scrap stores to purchase second-hand books. I knew there was a scrap store in Bandra’s Topaz apartments. A library named Topaz used to exist there before the scrap store could take over the place. I decided to take the same store on rent and set up my bookstore while also keeping the scrap store operational.” He says, “I knew that setting up a store near Salman Khan’s apartment would have someone from his building call me to collect scrap. This could allow me to get a glimpse of him.”
As he pursues his dream to meet Khan, he has had the opportunity to meet other Indian celebrities. Since Bandra is home to many celebrities and also a common hangout place for people from the film industry, it is only normal for a store like Shaw’s to have celebrity customers as well. He says, “There are a lot of television actors who buy books from me but my favourite memory was when famous Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor set his foot into my store. He asked me if I had kept his books for sale. I laughed. 'Which bookstore will not have your book?', I asked," he narrates. It is not only Kapoor but also Ishaan Khatter, who has visited the store. While he didn’t buy any books, Shaw told us that Khatter did check out books by Salman Rushdie. Photo Courtesy: Birju Shaw
Apart from the bookstall on Waroda Road, he has also recently opened his first branch under the same name on Chapel Road. It is safe to say, business is doing well. Merely a tourist, he may have not once imagined making Mumbai his home over 20 years ago
Shaw takes immense pride in his store as it holds a variety of books from novels, children’s books, and comics to general knowledge books. What makes this bookstore stand out from others in the city is that it also sells vintage books, newspapers, and magazines
Called 'A Book Shop', it is a small aesthetic-looking store that is appealing to the eye of any onlooker. Besides having books within the store, Shaw also displays the books on a shelf placed adjacent to his store. This allows his customers to browse through the books freely
At 'A Book Shop', books are sold for prices depending on the writer and not by their size. The more popular a writer is the more the cost. That being said, books are starting at Rs 10 and go up to Rs 1,000. “Price of vintage books is high as they are rare and antique. I have a book by Henri Matisse, a French visual artist, that holds 20 of his illustrations, having his original signature. It is a limited edition of the 1935 New York Publication. I am probably the only one in India to have the copy. The same copy is in the US that is up for sale for over 12000 dollars. I keep such books at home in a safe.”
The bookseller besides selling books also recommends them to his customers. Since he isn't well-educated, Shaw asks his customers for reviews. He says, “I can read English but I don’t understand the meaning of the words. So, I ask my customers for their reviews on books. Based on their reviews, I recommend books to my new customers.”
He lives in the city with his wife and two children. “Running a bookstore gave me the chance to converse with customers who were highly educated. It helped me see that Mumbai offered quality education. I wanted that for my children. I am not educated, but I wanted my children to be highly educated. Today my daughter is an advocate and my son just passed his CBSE board examination scoring 85 per cent. He will now prepare to be an IPS officer. My chest swells with pride today. My children’s high qualifications are my true earnings in life.”
Since it is on the inner lane, the store may be a bit hard to find but if you know Bandra well enough, it's only a few paces away from the newly opened Veronica's, and in the same lane as famous sneaker store VegNonVeg
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