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| Gokul instagrammed. I hadn’t even heard of cell phones when I first went there years back |
I was at Ling’s Pavilion in Colaba a few
days back shooting for The Finely Chopped channel on YouTube.
days back shooting for The Finely Chopped channel on YouTube.
Shoot done, I headed towards Baghdadi where
my Uber was parked. I passed by Gokul, the dive bar opposite the Bade Miya cart
and just before Baghdadi.
my Uber was parked. I passed by Gokul, the dive bar opposite the Bade Miya cart
and just before Baghdadi.
I stopped for a moment in front of Gokul
and a flurry of sepia tinted memories rushed in.
and a flurry of sepia tinted memories rushed in.
Memories of my early days in Mumbai in the
late 1990s and of the bunch of folks I used to hang out with. Primarily folks
from work who, like me, had moved in to Mumbai seeking independence and new
careers.
late 1990s and of the bunch of folks I used to hang out with. Primarily folks
from work who, like me, had moved in to Mumbai seeking independence and new
careers.
My Gokul memories were those of evenings
spent looking for cheap daru (alcohol) to celebrate one’s coming of age and moving out of home. Gokul
was considered to be the only place in South Mumbai where the booze was cheap
and yet was suitable for a mixed crowd (read ‘women’ too).
spent looking for cheap daru (alcohol) to celebrate one’s coming of age and moving out of home. Gokul
was considered to be the only place in South Mumbai where the booze was cheap
and yet was suitable for a mixed crowd (read ‘women’ too).
Gokul was always packed in the evenings.
There were two sections from what I remember. The larger section was non
air-conditioned and the crowd there was more blue collared there.
There were two sections from what I remember. The larger section was non
air-conditioned and the crowd there was more blue collared there.
There was a smaller air-conditioned
section. Unlike the section outside which was largely male dominated, the
air-conditioned section had both men and women inside.
section. Unlike the section outside which was largely male dominated, the
air-conditioned section had both men and women inside.
This section was where agency folks would
hang out. Most ad agencies in the 1990s were in South Bombay then as were a smattering of market research agencies. I worked in Dadar but we would come to
South Mumbai after work .
hang out. Most ad agencies in the 1990s were in South Bombay then as were a smattering of market research agencies. I worked in Dadar but we would come to
South Mumbai after work .
This is the section we would go to.
It was pretty smoky and noisy inside.
Those
were innocent days where smoking inside restaurants was not banned. Nor was beef banned and we didn’t know that was served as ‘beef’ was water buffalo possibly.
were innocent days where smoking inside restaurants was not banned. Nor was beef banned and we didn’t know that was served as ‘beef’ was water buffalo possibly.
The prawn fries at Gokul were pretty good
and were served with the Schezwan sauce that Mumbai can’t seem to get enough.
We noticed people around us eat boiled eggs with their drinks which seemed
pretty strange. Sometimes we would smuggle in packs of peanuts as they were
cheaper in the corner shops outside than at Gokul. We would bring these out
after the packs we had ordered in Gokul got over.
and were served with the Schezwan sauce that Mumbai can’t seem to get enough.
We noticed people around us eat boiled eggs with their drinks which seemed
pretty strange. Sometimes we would smuggle in packs of peanuts as they were
cheaper in the corner shops outside than at Gokul. We would bring these out
after the packs we had ordered in Gokul got over.
It was pretty much the Wild West out there. A happy place.
Drinks at Gokul would be followed by
dinners at the Bade Miya stall before hurrying back to catch the last train
home.
dinners at the Bade Miya stall before hurrying back to catch the last train
home.
The nights at Bade Miya were memorable as
we would sit by sit on chairs placed by plastic tables put out on the lane and chomp on our food
under the starry skies. It’s another thing that the kebabs were chewy, the
baida rotis too greasy, and we rarely felt that we got our money’s worth as Bade Miya was definitely not the cheapest option around. However, it was your best bet late into the night.
we would sit by sit on chairs placed by plastic tables put out on the lane and chomp on our food
under the starry skies. It’s another thing that the kebabs were chewy, the
baida rotis too greasy, and we rarely felt that we got our money’s worth as Bade Miya was definitely not the cheapest option around. However, it was your best bet late into the night.
Staying out so late at night was a big
change for me from my sheltered life in Kolkata. We would rarely stay out late
in Kolkata in those days and public transport was hard to get as the night
progressed. If there were girls in the group in Kolkata, they had to be dropped home.
change for me from my sheltered life in Kolkata. We would rarely stay out late
in Kolkata in those days and public transport was hard to get as the night
progressed. If there were girls in the group in Kolkata, they had to be dropped home.
Bombay was different from the Calcutta I
had left behind. Here we would get a train back as late as 1 am (the last metro
in Calcutta was at 9.30 pm then). When we reached our destination in Mumbai we would take
our individual auto rickshaws home. In the late 90s, Mumbai was safe enough for
girls to travel by themselves even when late in the night. That’s something
which college goers and early jobbers, who have moved in from outside, admire
about Mumbai today too.
had left behind. Here we would get a train back as late as 1 am (the last metro
in Calcutta was at 9.30 pm then). When we reached our destination in Mumbai we would take
our individual auto rickshaws home. In the late 90s, Mumbai was safe enough for
girls to travel by themselves even when late in the night. That’s something
which college goers and early jobbers, who have moved in from outside, admire
about Mumbai today too.
We cherished the freedom Mumbai offered us
from the cities and lives we had left behind.
from the cities and lives we had left behind.
Seems ironic at a time when the city is now
infamous for its meat bans and hotel raids.
infamous for its meat bans and hotel raids.
Unlike Martin’s, Churchill or even Crystal
and Leo’s, Gokul is one haunt from the past which I’ve not gone back to in
years. Since I got married I think.
and Leo’s, Gokul is one haunt from the past which I’ve not gone back to in
years. Since I got married I think.
Its memories have stayed with me though.
My recent Gokul nostalgia got me thinking of my
early days in Mumbai.
early days in Mumbai.
I had taken a transfer to the Mumbai as
most of my friends had moved out of Kolkata. Plus I was bored with the monotony
of the work I was doing in Kolkata. I had come to Mumbai for a short training
stint after college and was sold on the city from the moment I moved in. I felt the yearning to go back to
Mumbai and the freedom and new experiences it offered after I returned to
Kolkata from the training. Which is when I decided to move into Mumbai for good
and have been here since.
most of my friends had moved out of Kolkata. Plus I was bored with the monotony
of the work I was doing in Kolkata. I had come to Mumbai for a short training
stint after college and was sold on the city from the moment I moved in. I felt the yearning to go back to
Mumbai and the freedom and new experiences it offered after I returned to
Kolkata from the training. Which is when I decided to move into Mumbai for good
and have been here since.
Gokul was a big part of the life I led when
I moved in to Mumbai. It represented the spirit of Mumbai that I so loved. A
city that let you be. A city which offered one the independence that one craved
for. A city that was warm and nurturing. A city where you met lovely people,
made great new friends. A city which allowed you to dream and realize your
dreams.
I moved in to Mumbai. It represented the spirit of Mumbai that I so loved. A
city that let you be. A city which offered one the independence that one craved
for. A city that was warm and nurturing. A city where you met lovely people,
made great new friends. A city which allowed you to dream and realize your
dreams.
From whatever I have heard Gokul is still
going strong. It still looks crowded when I pass it by at night after a genteel
dinner with Jamshed Uncle at the RBYC. New generation of young immigrants to
Mumbai such as Riya Patel, a young food blogger from Sophia College, says she
and her friends go there still.
going strong. It still looks crowded when I pass it by at night after a genteel
dinner with Jamshed Uncle at the RBYC. New generation of young immigrants to
Mumbai such as Riya Patel, a young food blogger from Sophia College, says she
and her friends go there still.
The Gokul story has many new chapters to be
written.
written.
And Mumbai continues to be the city of
dreams.
dreams.
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| Bandra PO today |
PS: It’s ironic that I took the picture of Gokul with my mobile. We didn’t even have a telephone at home in Kolkata when I moved in to Mumbai in the late 90s and I didn’t have a mobile. I would go to the local STD (standard trunk dial in the India of the 90s) and make a call to my neighbour’s place in Kolkata after 11 pm. The discounted rates would start then. They would call my mom over. I would also write a weekly inland letter to my mom and a monthly one in Bengali to my grandmother and would go to the Bandra Post Office to post them. No SMSs or whatsapps then. The joy of receiving a letter from home was beyond compare.
Loved the post ! I think I have grown old and find the place too crowded and dirty. This post makes want to go back there again !
Thanks Saumya. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes disappointed
Beautiful article.I also migrated to Mumbai from Kolkata 9 years back and can relate to your sentiments about both the cities…Keep up the good work..Deepa
Thank you so much for your feedback Deepa. Hope Mumbai has been kind to you…Kalyan
Yes more than kind…with a strong foundation of Kolkata, Mumbai gave me wings to fly…:).Hope to meet you someday in one of your food trails..