Pansari shares a story that seems to encapsulate the City of Dreams, where warmth, crushing chaos, corporate coldness, towering working-class aspirations and glitzy show business coexist. “There is an image on page 32 of a man who regularly sells vada pav in the Byculla vegetable market,” she reveals. “I was walking around there looking for stacks of vegetables to photograph when a few people yelled at me to grab my attention. I turn around, and they ask me to take photos of him, saying, ‘He is so good looking, ekdum Shah Rukh Khan, you must send his photo to Bollywood.’ I jumped at the opportunity, and he felt so shy that he couldn’t stop laughing. All the bhajiwallahs joined in to make sure he gets his picture taken and that he has the biggest smile while doing it.” This is the essence of Mumbai, impossible to distil into a book. Yet, Heirloom Cities’ heartfelt ode feels like holding Bombay in your hands.
Also read:
I became a tour guide for a friend visiting Mumbai—and fell in love with the city again
Why Mumbai is no longer the city of dreams, despite being the happiest city in Asia
An Art Deco walk around Mumbai changed how I look at the city
