The Corner Irani: Missing you already

“If anything symbolises the cosmopolitan nature of Bombay, it is the corner Irani,” says Gautam Benegal, who is mourning the passing of Irani cafés through his illustrations, currently on display at the Cool Café Chef in Worli Village. Poster colours, acrylic on canvas, charcoal on paper, brushwork — Benegal has composed an ode through a series of media. Benegal’s romance with Irani cafés began with his first tryst with bun-maska pao-keema-chai in 1989, shortly after coming to Bombay to seek a fortune. The magic of carelessly scattered, heaped ashtrays; chipped tea cups; sullen, jaded waiters; stray cats hiding under the table; and the people — most of whom were struggling to make a living, struck the man. [caption id=“attachment_187931” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Irani cafés became Benegal’s home away from home. Adrija Bose/ Firstpost”] [/caption] A painter, a journalist, a filmmaker, a writer, a cartoonist — and undeniably a dreamer, Benegal’s illustrations of Irani cafes in the neighbourhood, try to capture the Bombay loved and lost. In Kolkata, at age 14, Benegal marked the beginning of his career by illustrating for Arun De’s book of poems. Soon after, he started illustrating for Satyajit Ray’s Sandesh, the much-loved magazine. During his graduation at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, he joined the National Institute of Design and made a 2-minute film, Bhurigolla as his diploma course project under the guidance of Raghunath Goswami, the acclaimed animator and puppeteer. For a boy who left home for a dauntingly expensive city, the hopeless struggle for the holy grail of success on a meager salary of Rs 800 a month, the tiny Irani was a respite. A keema-pao for 8 bucks was the miracle that ensured he did not have to leave the city he came to pursue his dreams in. “It was the only place where you did not have to bother about who is Muslim and who is Hindu, unlike all the other places,” he says. For Benegal, Irani cafes were the only places that were cosmopolitan in every sense of the word. Café Cadel in Mahim became his breakfast joint and Fairdeal Restaurant on Linking Road in Bandra became his lunch place. “They reminded me of Calcutta,” he says, slipping into nostalgia. Irani cafés became his home away from home. With Tupatup, his first film for Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI), he turned into an independent animation filmmaker. Thereafter, there was no looking back. Gauraya ki Champi, based on a Bengali folk tale, and Kalkalam, an adaptation of Tagore’s Totakahani made a mark both in India and abroad. An animation film The Prince and the Crown of Stone, which that won him two Rajatkamal National Awards; a book 1/7 Bondel Road that won acclaim worldwide, hasn’t stopped Benegal. He is currently writing a novel, working on his movie and hopes to keep Irani cafés alive through his art. His exhibition is on at the Cool Cafe Chef at Worli till 20 January. Contact: 022 24301127. [fpgallery id=365]

The Corner Irani: Missing you already

A keema-pao at tiny Irani cafes for 8 bucks was the miracle that ensured Gautam Benegal did not have to leave the city he came to pursue his dreams in. His illustrations are a tribute to that.

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