Around Town: How a 10th pass Sindhi compounder built Bandra’s famous and celebrity-approved Elco Pani Puri Centre

“He knew the money would never be enough to support such a large family, so he decided to start his own business,” recalled his younger son, Deepak Bhagnani, 45. Mohandas picked up tricks of the trade from a fellow Sindhi chaatwala in Ulhasnagar and soon began preparing Sindhi-style pani puri at home — without ragda, only boiled potatoes and sprouts. He would pack them into a tokra (basket), carry it on his head, take the train to Bandra, and set up at the entrance of Elco Market, selling six puris for 25 paise. Over time, the tokra would become a small handcart, and the handcart a roadside stall. Slowly, he carved out a reputation for himself — one crisp puri at a time.

Elco’s pani puri has fans across walks of life — from industrialists and politicians to actors like Genelia Deshmukh, Preity Zinta, Shahid Kapoor and many more. (Express Photo/Akash Patil)

“The secret was his chilled pani, made with a secret spice mix,” Deepak said. And what about the popular internet rumour that they add Thums Up? He laughed it off: “A big no.” He went on to recall, “Back in the ’90s, we would have actors like Rani Mukerji, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Govinda. Preity Zinta was a regular — she still comes whenever she’s in the city, usually eating inside her car.”

In 2003, the family bought the corner shop behind the stall. Two years later, they purchased the flats above it and combined the spaces into a 150-seater restaurant with a mezzanine and an expansive first floor. “Until then, we had just four items — pani puri, dahi batata puri, chole pattice, and kulfi falooda — which are still our bestsellers. But once we became a restaurant, we wanted something for everyone. That’s when we added chole bhature, pav bhaji, sandwiches, pizza, South Indian dishes, and desserts,” Deepak said.

Business only grew. In 2014, they opened two branches in Dubai, run by his elder brother Anil Bhagnani, while his uncle Pushotam Bhagnani and he managed the Bandra outpost.

Elco began with just one item — pani puri. Today, its menu boasts over 100 dishes, with chole bhature, pav bhaji, dahi puri chaat and falooda ranking among the most popular. (Express Photo/Akash Patil)

The reputation has grown alongside. Today, their Instagram feed features everyone from English singer Ed Sheeran and cricketer Shubman Gill to comedian Tanmay Bhat and politicians Ashish Shelar and Nitin Gadkari. “Just two months ago, Jay Shah came with his family. He tried everything — pani puri, chole bhature,” Deepak said. For high-profile visitors, they convert the mezzanine floor into a private dining space with their security in place.

Elco now also caters to marquee names. They’ve served at Antilia for the Ambanis’ Ganpati celebrations, at Mannat when Shah Rukh Khan hosted a party for Farah Khan’s triplets, and most recently at Gautam Adani’s Khandala bungalow. The reasons, Deepak said, are twofold: “We never compromise on quality — from puri to sprouts to chutneys and curd, everything is made in-house. And we’ve always prioritised hygiene. Even back then, my father wore gloves while serving pani puri and used only Bisleri water.”

A regular customer agrees. “We’ve been coming since it was just a roadside stall, but even then it was arranged with chairs so we never felt like we were eating on the footpath,” said a woman in her forties, now trying an avocado cheese sandwich — one of the eatery’s latest additions, alongside avocado pani puri. “It’s trending, so we added it, but with an Indian twist,” Deepak explained.

The menu continues to evolve with customer demand — makhana bhel and chaat are next. What hasn’t changed is their presence. “Either my uncle or I are always here,” Deepak said. “We also regularly visit our central kitchen in Kalina to check quality and gather feedback.”