Mamta Anant Mehta has always been a creative person who taught arts and craft as a hobby to children and adults in her home in Andheri East. While she did it for more than a decade, the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for people to come to her home to learn more. While one would have been a little dejected, Mamta chose to build on her other hobbies. The momentary pause made the Mumbaikar rediscover her love for cooking at a time when people didn’t have access to traditional home-cooked food.

She shares, "During the lockdown, we initially started selling ready-made khakra (crispy cracker-like delicacy). However, soon after, my neighbour asked if I could make something else for them to enjoy at home. That’s when I started making theplas." Today, Mehta, who is from the city`s Gujarati community, makes various types of theplas (soft Indian spiced flatbreads), including plain and methi varieties, as well as other flavours like achaari (pickled), baajri (made from bajra), dudhi (bottle gourd), and even garlic, to introduce people to long-forgotten flavours. She started with packets of 10 and has only grown since. What began with one neighbour quickly turned into a popular demand, with many others eager to taste her food.