Around Town: From thela to 1,500 sqft eatery, inside Sion’s 50-year-old Guru Kripa, beloved by Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Brar
According to Guru Kripa owner, culinary icons Sanjeev Kapoor and Ranveer Brar like their samosas and have filmed videos in the eatery that has won 'Best Mithai' award from Swiggy in 2024.
4 min read
The menu also features an extensive range of savory options. (Express Photo)Partition brought many Sindhis to India, among them the Wadhwa family, who left their home and belongings in Karachi to settle in Mumbai. In the mid-1960s, their son, Vishindas Wadhwa, started selling samosas from a thela (hand cart) to make ends meet. Encouraged by the response, he expanded his menu to include sev puri and bhel puri. As his venture grew, he purchased a shop and named it Guru Kripa. That was 1975.
Now gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary this August, Guru Kripa has transformed into a 1,500-sqft eatery offering over 70 mithais, including their indulgent sev barfi, mohanthal, gulab jamun, motichoor ladoos, and a selection of sugar-free date mithais. The menu also features an extensive range of savoury options.
Though Vishindas passed away in February 2021 due to a heart ailment, his legacy continues through his son Govind and grandchildren Bharat and Sunaina, who manage the bustling eatery.
Guru Kripa has transformed into a 1,500-sq-ft eatery offering over 70 mithais, including their indulgent sev barfi, mohanthal, gulab jamun, motichoor ladoos, and a selection of sugar-free date mithais. (Express Photo)
The outdoor section caters to those picking up mithais, samosas, and lassis or grabbing a quick bite, while the indoor dining area is divided into a smaller air-conditioned section and a larger non-AC space, providing a comfortable dining experience to customers.
The 150-seater attracts customers of all ages, particularly adults, who can be seen enjoying a variety of meals — from perfectly puffed bhaturas to uttapams, grilled sandwiches, hearty thalis, and their famed chole samosas. Almost every table features a plate of samosas, served either with chutney or with chole and sliced onions on top.
“We sell about 8,000–10,000 samosas a day,” shared Bharat, an MBA graduate who joined the family business alongside his cousin Sunaina in 2020. Together, they oversee business development, operations, sales, and marketing. The eatery, which employs around 200 people, has not only bounced back to pre-COVID levels but is performing even better lately.
One wall of the dining area features portraits of culinary icons Sanjeev Kapoor and Ranveer Brar, actor Akshay Kumar, and YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani. (Express Photo)
When asked about the secret to their success, Bharat credits his grandfather’s mantra: “Top-notch quality at a reasonable price.”
“I remember these samosas being sold for just one rupee,” Bharat recalled, who has been visiting the eatery since he was a young boy, helping out the family during festivals like Holi and Diwali. Despite inflation, they’ve kept the pricing competitive: Rs 34 for a pair of samosas, Rs 38 with chutney, and Rs 72 with chole.
The indoor dining area is divided into a smaller air-conditioned section and a larger non-AC space, providing a comfortable dining experience to customers. (Express Photo)
The third generation has also brought changes to the eatery’s packaging. Plastic containers have been replaced with sealed ones for liquid-heavy sweets like halwa, gulab jamun, rasgulla, and rasmalai, while mithai boxes now feature colourful, laminated designs. “Our rebranding has repositioned us in the market, boosting sales by 40–50 per cent. We even received the ‘Best Mithai’ award from Swiggy in 2024,” Bharat proudly shared, adding that all their sweets are prepared in a central kitchen.
One wall of the dining area features portraits of culinary icons Sanjeev Kapoor and Ranveer Brar, actor Akshay Kumar, and YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani.
The third generation has also brought changes to the eatery’s packaging. (Express Photo)
“Both Sanjeev Kapoor and Ranveer Brar like our samosas and have filmed videos here,” Bharat revealed. He also recounts stories passed down by his grandfather about Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar relishing their samosas. And Amitabh Bachchan? “After his accident during the Coolie shoot, my grandfather distributed samosas, praying for his speedy recovery. When Mr Bachchan learned of this, he visited us, enjoyed our samosas, and declared them his favourite,” Bharat said with a proud smile.
As for the plans to mark Guru Kripa’s 50th anniversary, Bharat concluded: “We hope to keep going strong for another 50 years.”
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