In the first instalment of our series of interviews with Mumbaikars on their experience of living in the city, we spoke to Varun Grover. A lyricist, screenwriter and stand-up comic, Grover has worked on films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Masaan and Katiyabaaz and the comedy show Aisi Taisi Democracy. Grover, 35, has been living in Mumbai for the last eleven years.
Neighbourhood
Kandivali East.
Neighbourhood gems you show off to visitors
Borivali National Park, especially the Kanheri caves and the two small seasonal streams on the way. Another gem is Aksa beach as it’s way less crowded and way wider than Juhu.
Neighbourhood haunts you frequent
Borivali National Park, roughly once in two months. Though in rains, this frequency doubles.
A place in the city that has inspired poetry
Not a muse, but Bombay local trains are a great place to write poetry in. Long, non-rush hour rides inspire. I wrote almost all verses of ‘Taar Bijli Se’ from Gangs of Wasseypur (Part 1) on a local train journey.
If you had to take visitors on a Bollywood tour of the city, where would you take them?
Prithvi Theatre on a weekend, especially if some big-ticket play is premiering. Best place to spot the stars, see them up close sitting next to you, and sometimes on the stage too.
Best place to get a meal in the city
Crystal dhaba at Girgaum Chowpatty for its simple and delicious food, Idli House in Matunga for the best jackfruit-leaf idlis, and The Calcutta Club in Oshiwara for amazing bhetki paturi and rasgulla payesh.
Best place to get a drink in in the city
Not much of a drinker but I prefer any smaller ‘Family Restaurant Aani Bar’ as they don’t overprice alcohol and always give free peanuts and salad.
Best place to watch a gig/show in the city
Prithvi Theatre for plays, Canvas Laugh Club for comedy. Both venues are so intimate that they add to the quality of the experience.
Favourite street food and where you go to get it
A bhutta stall in Jawahar Nagar, Goregaon West. This guy experiments with baby corn, sweet corn and white corn dishes from his small stall. A rage with local Gujaratis.
Favourite Bombay book/film/play/musician
Book: Midnight’s Children; Film: Black Friday; Play: Manav Kaul’s Aisa Kahte Hain; and Musician: S. D. Burman.
A Bombay comedian you admire
Aditi Mittal and Karunesh Talwar. (Sorry I gave two names. Love them both equally.)
The word that best describes the city
Zaalima.
Your opinion of Bambaiya Hindi
Love it! Wish I could speak it fluently.
A local phrase you use frequently
Zaau dya!
You know somebody is from this city when…
He/she stands in a queue. (Even at rush-hour Rajiv Chowk Metro in Delhi.)
Who is a son of the soil?
Whoever is non-prejudiced and realises that life on this planet exists only because we all are sons and daughters of the soil.