The past in the present

Mumbai has not always been this way; a haze of people, vehicles and animals. A mosaic of cultural and monetary diversity centered around the ideal of progress.

What started out as a commercial fishing port in the 16th century with a population of around 10,000 people is now a booming metro, home to around 20 million people. Nothing is the same anymore… or is it.

Take a walk around the erstwhile Metro theatre, now Metro Adlabs and you will see exactly what I mean. Through the construction debris of an upcoming subway, nestled in the façade of a non-descript building built in 1914 are two quaint reminders of our past that have survived the test of time and the spate of cultural and economic revolutions that have shaken this city without eroding their antiquated charm.

It’s a rare opportunity to take walks down the memory lane with all the lanes in this city turning into bustling concrete roads. However, take a break from all that with some mawa cake and irani chai at Kyani and Co. and soak in the rhythms that cascade from the myriad musical instruments at Furtados and you’ll get a peek preview into the Mumbai that was.

Furtados was started in 1864 by two brothers in the same area. Business back then was quite erratic but persistence got them through one and a half centuries of ups and downs. Today this name is considered generic for any musical equipment ranging from electric guitars to the Indian flute. They are the oldest musical instrument supplier in Mumbai. “We have evolved with time”, says Mr. Anthony Gomes, one of the current owners of this store. “Considering our ready stock of around 20,000 items at any given time, we are working towards synchronizing our business with the world around”, he adds. They are also having a repositioning exercise that may soon put Furtados in the big league of musical instrument suppliers. Evolving with time may be easy for large corporate houses but not as easy with a one and a half century old music store.

Add to this their participation in the Palm India Expo 2007 happening this month from the 7th to the 9th and we have a truly progressive old timer. The Palm 2007 is one of the only exhibitions in India that specializes in musical equipment ranging from sound systems to lighting. Furtados is showcasing some of its own snazzy equipment at this exposition. They believe that it works as an excellent platform for showcasing their products.

While we have Furtados bracing itself for the future, just next door is Kyani and co. who are quite comfortable with the way things have been since 1904. “Even our furniture is the same!” exclaims Mr. A.K. Irani, the current owner of this homely eatery. Everything about this restaurant is around a hundred years old except for the refrigerators that seem starkly out of place and of course the food! The charm of having a meal here is in the antiquity of it all accentuated by the paradox of the life outside. It’s almost like an anachronism when we compare the relaxed interiors to the frantic street beyond.

One might want to take a different view about development after spending some time at Kyani. Most players in this industry end up becoming unsuccessful hybrids of the past and the present, frantic to appropriate the most from our booming economy. Kyani, on the other hand, have a dedicated clientele who literally swear by their irani chai and profit doesn’t matter as long as everyone is happy. “Restructuring and expansion is out of question! We are happy with the business. Our customers are happy with our prices and service. Then why change anything! Restructuring costs will finally figure in our prices and we prefer keeping the rates low.” was Mr. Irani’s reply to my question about their expansion plans. “The antiquated ambience of our restaurant is what adds to its appeal”, adds his son. They have kept the restaurant the way it used to be through three generations.

Their levels of service were substantiated the moment I laid eyes on a thick rope dangling from the ceiling just above the stair case just to make life simpler for the elderly. Truly touching! This is a must visit destination for everyone bored with the glitzy metallic finish and tongue twisting menus of the ubiquitous coffee shop and those craving for a down to earth experience.

Mumbai’s culture is highlighted by the symbiosis of the old and the new. While everything modern is clearly visible to us, Mumbai’s heritage can be most efficiently found in small places such as Kyani and Furtados and not only in the highly commercialized tourist destinations. These are just two stories from amongst a plethora of chronicles from our past hidden in the unlikeliest of places strewn across this city patiently waiting to be found by us.