It’s curtains over Cafe Samovar, an iconic landmark patronised by the who’s who of Bollywood, artistes, intellectuals and the people of Mumbai since 1964.
Famous for its keema parathas and mutton chops, the clientele included Star couples Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, legendary painter the late M F Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, actor and writer Girish Karnad, filmmaker Shyam Benegal and actor Jackie Shroff.
Located inside the Jehangir Art Gallery, Samovar overlooks the garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India.
The cafe is in the heart of the art district of Mumbai – around 200 metres away from the Gateway of India – in the Kala Ghoda square of Fort area.
Samovar is surrounded by several heritage buildings and landmarks like Lion Gate, Rhythm House, David Sassoon Library, Esplanade Mansion, earlier known as Watson Hotel, India's oldest surviving cast iron building and also the first place in the country to screen Lumiere Brothers Cinematographe invention in 1896.
“It was a happening place…when it started India was young, the artistes were young…this was one place where people use to sit as it was inside the Jehangir Art Gallery. Moreover, it is close to the University of Mumbai and Elphinstone College,” said Rafique Baghdadi, a veteran journalist, writer, film critic and an expert on Mumbai.
Baghdadi used to run a book store called Jaico Bookshop near this area from 1976-84 and he has fine memories of Café Samovar.
On Monday, BJP leader Shaina N C along with Malavika Sangghvi and Devieka Bhojwani, the daughters of owner Usha Khanna, met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting him an alternate space for the cafe.
Usha’s maternal uncle was the legendary actor late Balraj Sahni. The Jehangir Art Gallery has plans to expand and wanted the land back from Samovar for decades. The cafe has, for almost 30 years now, been fighting the matter in court and was successful in getting the lease extended.
Five years ago, the cafe and the gallery settled the matter out of court and Samovar got a five-year reprieve. Plans to relocate subsequent to the closure has not materialised yet.