Café Oval @ Churchgate

And finally a place where you can have cheap beer and the ambiance is, if not amazing, decent.
Café oval is a small Parsi beer bar located opposite to the Oval Maidan in South Mumbai. The place is amongst the cheapest in Mumbai to have beer. A pitcher of beer cost just Rs 230, way cheaper than any of its contemporaries.London pilsner, the brand mostly unheard of, is served at only Rs100.



Many people might not be aware of its existence as it does not carry any fancy signboard, though the place is frequented by patrons and other regulars. The bar has 10-12 tables with cartons of beer stacked along the walls.
The laid back feel of the place and prompt service makes it a perfect spot to chill down after a hard day’s work or even otherwise.
Go to café oval for cheap beer and cheese chews.


PS: The beer joint is located next to Cafe Sundance in Eros Cinema building.
(Photo courtsey http://www.flickr.com/photos/kapsi/1277401970/)

Prithvi Theatre

Away from the cacophony of traffic and routine commotion of the city lies the prestigious and legendary Prithvi theatre. Surrounded by green trees and lit beautifully, PT enchants people interested in plays and theatres from across the city. In fact PT has become a name synonymous with the active theatre scene of the city. The beautiful place is home to a theatre building, a café and a small bookstore. Newcomers and familiar faces of TV and cinema and other art forms can be found sipping tea in the café discussing on topics wide and varied. While waiting in the café for play to start, I got to hear the conversation between two wannabe actors sitting on the next table. From their conversation it became clear that they were migrants who landed in the city of dreams to fulfill their ambitions.
Excerpts:
First Man (F): Yaar, ab to pareshan ho gaya hun.
Second Man (S): what happened?
F: yaar, ek saal ho gaya hai yahaan par, but still there has been nothing that has come my way.
S: kya matlab?
F: I mean there is no work. Joote ghis gaye hain.
Second man, who appeared to be more carefree tries to imitate Dharamendra while speaking.
S: koi baat nahin beta, abhi to aise bohot saare joote ghisne padenge. I have been trying for more years than you but with only little success.
F: at least you have got something to do. Mera case toh bilkul barbaad hai,
S: oye! Koi nahin mere sher. Mehnat karte raho, phal ek din toh milega hi. And there is no denying the fact that you are a good actor.
As the conversation continued, first bell rang indicating audience to move inside the theatre. I got up from the table hoping that someday these actors will also get their share of luck.

PS: Prithvi theatre was established in 1978 to recognize the efforts and to provide platform for the revival of theatre in the city. It was established by Mr. Shashi Kapoor of the famous Kapoor clan of Indian film industry. It hosts an annual theatre fest known as Prithvi Theatre Festival in which theatre troops from across the country perform.

The Good Bay

What makes a city great? Is it the people or the great history it carries? Not many cities can boast of both. Bombay can. Not a very old city to interest archaeologists but the city, in its four or five centuries of significant existence, has witnessed more activities than the places twenty centuries old. Cities around the world are driven by the energy of its residents but the glorious Bombay drives its citizens through its never ending energy.

Bombay has always been a melting pot of various cultures, languages, tradition and people who come from different places to fulfill their dreams. Migrants are known to be coming to the city from early 17th century . Parsis, Bohras, Gujratis and Marwaris were amongst the early migrants who along with Britishers contributed in creating a culture that indeed is unique to the city. The influence of different cultures can be experienced in art and architecture of the town, noteworthy among them being Indo-Sarcenic and Indo-Gothic. In fact Bombay is home to the second highest number of Art Deco buildings.
In a country where million dreams sprout every day, Bombay gives confidence to turn those dreams into reality. As the city grows at a swift pace, it has been able to maintain its old world charm (though limited to only certain places and areas) which continues to fascinate artists, tourist and inmates alike. Bombay, indeed is the jewel in the crown of India.