A new research project aims to compile oral histories of Bhendi Bazaar

Advocate Zubair Azmi proposes an alteration to the popular aphorism that suggests the languages spoken change every few kilometres as you traverse the country ldquoThatrsquos a stretch In Bhendi Bazaar the dialects change between every naka junction Fluent Urdu will fade into Bambaiya Hindi and back to a poetic Uttar Pradeshi dialect in the blink of an eyerdquo the director of Urdu Markaz laughs A neighbourhood so linguistically diverse yet filled with stories that remain untold he points outBhendi Bazaar Research Academy Azmirsquos new project will aim to create a handbook for future studies with a compilation of stories that unveil why Saadat Hasan Manto liked his evening strolls in Madanpura why poet Majrooh Sultanpuri once travelled disguised in a burqa to Nagpada and how Mohammed Rafi chose a compact lsquokholirsquo in Vazir Building at Bhendi Bazaar junction before achieving widespread fameOld Bhendi Bazaar PIC COURtESYWIKIMEDIA COMMONSldquoI donrsquot think you can demarcate Bhendi Bazaar on the map It encapsulates the spirit of the many Urduspeaking areas spread across South Mumbai It begins from Crawford Marketrsquos Jama Masjid built by the Konkani Roghay family and ends somewhere near Mominpura comprising Pydhonie Dongri Bohri Mohalla Nagpada and Madanpura along the wayrdquo Azmi suggests The seeds of the language that is now synonymous with neighbourhood were sowed with the establishment of Anjuman E Islam in 1879 ldquoBhendi Bazaar wouldrsquove been starkly different without founder Dr Badruddin Tyabjirsquos foresight to educate its peoplerdquoAzmi admitsItrsquos probably this love for Urdu that made progressive writers like Manto Kaifi Azmi Majrooh Sultanpuri and Sahir Ludhianvi regulars in its bylanes ldquoManto would frequent Madanpura for his evening walks and head to Sarvi Hotel for a cup of tea later That was his routinerdquo Azmi reveals As his fans would know it was these chai breaks that inspired the literary legendrsquos short stories and its peculiar characters ldquoSiraj the pimp from Mantorsquos stories was a Sarvi regular too He would operate at the bus stand opposite the hotelrdquo he addsKaifi Azmi third from left with Ali Sardar Jafri second from left at a gathering in MadanpuraThe story of Sarvi and similar anecdotes are oral histories passed on to Azmi by his family peers and the eminent personalities themselves The director recalls meeting Kaifi Azmi and Sultanpuri with his colleagues ldquoThey had an enthusiastic amiable vibe to them When learners like me would visit them they would be glad that the new generation still values their craftrdquo the director recalls Turns out Sultanpurirsquos enthusiasm wasnrsquot confined to private attendancesldquoMastan Talao in Nagpada was a hub for late night mushaira gatherings especially in the early 1960s Huzoor Khan a police officer was entrusted with curbing literary gatherings by progressive leftleaning poets and authors at the time To work around the strict regulations Sultanpuri reached the venue in a burqardquo Azmi shares letting out a hearty chuckleA birdrsquos eye view from recent times of the areas constituting Bhendi Bazaar FILE PICWhile the focus is naturally on the arts given Azmirsquos education in literature the heavy lifting in fields like architecture food and business is left to a team of professors historians and intellectuals all of them Azmirsquos acquaintances Dr Rehaan Ansari an expert in urban planning for instance will paint a picture of the neighbourhoodrsquos varied styles of architecture From Iranian influences on the Mughal Masjid in Imamwada to the traditional threestoreyed houses with an otla a raised plinth with steps inspired by Gujarati migrants the paper will unearth influences on the arearsquos buildingsAdelphi Chambers Mantorsquos residence in Byculla right Saadat Hasan MantoAs the director signs off he gladly informs us that locals from Bhendi Bazaar as well as those who trace their roots to the locality have already started contributing to the project ldquoEarlier today I received a call from a professor in Mira Road who will be sending us details of the forgotten Ansari weaverrsquos community in Madanpura Another caller knew of an Urdu poet from the neighbourhood who wrote in the rare Purbi dialect centuries ago These are stories that need to be told as soon as possible If we donrsquot these stories as glorious as they are might be lost foreverrdquo he sighsMessage 9322695208 for queries and suggestions