A Slice of Merwan’s

‘Tales from Merwan’s’ aims to keep stories of the Irani cafe alive.

While most Irani cafe lovers are mourning the imminent demise of the almost 100-year-old B Merwan’s, two city-based photographers are keeping its memories alive by documenting the remaining days of this institution. Raj Lalwani and Kashish Parpiani started “Tales from Merwan’s”, a Facebook page of photographs and anecdotes as a tribute to the cafe. “I have spent many afternoons at the cafe. When I read an article about Merwan’s shutting down, it upset me,” says Lalwani, who works with a photography magazine. “The aim is to create a visual narrative and give viewers a sense of what it was like being there,”
he says.

The stories include those they have collected — of waiters and bakers one of whom is Vijayji, who has been wrapping over 4,000 mawa cakes every day for two decades — and they are also asking people to share anecdotes and pictures with them. “Since we started the project a fortnight ago, we have been talking to old-timers and waiters , some of whom have become our friends. It’s sad that their future is uncertain,” says freelance photojournalist Parpiani.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com