Book Review | When Bandra is the Centre of Your World

In other words? Ramblings of a Bandra Boy has a Bengali avatar, Baandrabasir Kheror Khata.

Now, can you equate ‘Rambling’ with ‘Kheror Kata?’ The English word implies unmapped, or confused, flow of thought. And Kheror Khata? The traditional red-cloth bound notebooks were used by Ray to visualise scripts; by his father to illustrate Abol Tabol; and it’s the title of his Aunt, Leela Majumdar’s anecdotal memoirs. All of which implies jotting down thoughts and sketching visuals whenever they occur in a fertile imagination. That’s why Rachel Dwyer, professor at SOAS, describes these in the Foreword as “jottings in a kheror khata”.

I’d read ‘Rambling’ as walking in the countryside for pleasure. The author’s narrative capsules match this definition in form and content. Because the sweeping take of his text stretches from one chapter of his life to another, one landscape to another, one person to scores of others who’ve peopled his world.

Joy was born to Manobina and Bimal Roy in 1955, after they moved into Godiwala Bungalow in Bandra. That heritage architecture on Mount Mary Road gave way to a multistoried monstrosity. But memories of the life within it still shines in these stories, as too of those who visited it - while Bimal Roy crafted his classics or after his demise when Joy was 10. All through the years, Bandra remains central to Joy’s life.

Derived from ‘Bandar’ (meaning: harbour), Bandra remains the queen of Mumbai’s suburbs. This pocket of history in the heart of India’s Financial Capital has been home to VIPs — of Bollywood as of firebrand Senas. As teenagers we’d scurry to Mount Mary’s Basilica and to the weather-beaten Bandra Fort. Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Fort predates the British ownership of the Seven Islands gifted to the Crown when Charles II married Princess Catherine of Portugal (1662). And St Andrew’s Church was founded in 1575 by Jesuits who won over Koli fisherfolks. Since then Bandra, like Goa, is a Christian stronghold.

However, since we were kids, Bandra’s synonymous with Mehboob Studios, where many Bollywood blockbusters took shape. The other end of Bandra is home to wannabe Slumdog Millionaires. Towering above the shanties of Dharavi there, the Bandra-Kurla complex defines the dreams of the rich and rising. Close by, the Bandra-Worli Sealink bridges south Mumbai with its ever-sprawling suburbs. In Pali Hill Nargis Dutt made her home with Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, Priya Dutt; Dilip Kumar with Saira Banu. Gulzar with Raakhee. Once, Meena Kumar watched the sun sink into the ocean; later Rekha took her place. Facing this very expanse Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan wave out to eager crowds. On the same Bandstand Promenade Joy has dedicated a glorious sculpture Requiem, to honour his mother, a pioneer photographer.

Ramblings offers a tour of all this, and a peep into the privileged life of the Bandra Boy. Through decades. When he assisted Shyam Benegal. Chiselled HMV’s Alisha Chinai. Charmed as a singer. Enthralled as a designer. Created funds for hospices. Mounted exhibitions. Directed Remembering Bimal Roy…

Ramble on, readers!

Ramblings of a Bandra Boy

By Joy Bimal Roy

Digitally Published

pp. 440; Rs 500/-