Book Mark

One of Madhusudan’s other favourites is at King’s Circle in Matunga. With books spread over four different spots on the pavement in the lane behind the famous Madras Cafe,Ravi Kumar has been in the business for 28 years. He doesn’t talk much unless spoken to,that is until you bring up the subject of rare books. “I have a regular clientele that has asked me to call them whenever I have a book that’s more than 100 years old,” says Kumar even as he arranges a tattered copy of a 1931 hardbound on one-act plays by British playwrights of the 19th century,priced at Rs 20. Upon gauging interest,Kumar also brings out phased out tram and BEST tickets,priced at 1 anna,which he will sell “only to the person who will preserve it”.

“The rarest,oldest books in the best condition come from the residents of the Dadar Parsi Colony that is around the corner,” he points out,but laments that the books’ business has taken a hit after the rise and rise of the internet. “Now,only classics or contemporary novels sell,” he rues. The complaint is common among also the other bookstore owners who sit in the vicinity—The Book Depot,located right opposite Kumar’s stall,and Sheetal Book Store across the road from Madras Café.

Another place which is a favourite among those with a penchant for literature is the Smoker’s Corner at Fort. Located near the GPO,it offers a slice of history. The story goes that more than half a century ago,the shop used to be a hub for sailors for buying cigar and tobacco. That is,until Suleman Botawala opened a bookshop,naming it after the reputation the place had gained. But that isn’t why Mumbai’s famous playwright Ramu Ramanathan would frequent Smoker’s Corner. “I could purchase Michael Ondaatje’s book of poems Cinnamon Peeler for Rs 10,” he recounts.

As far as prices are concerned,Santosh Panday,who runs his small store opposite the nallah in Irla,claims that no one can beat his offers. “I’m uneducated and don’t understand the value of different books by myself but my business has flourished over 17 years because I put the customer before my gains,” he asserts. True to his word,a customer at Panday’s store can purchase a book,read it and return it within three months to reimburse the entire amount except the borrowing charge of Rs 20. Mostly stocking contemporary writers,Panday keeps a collection of old and hardbound books in the back. “My clients tell me what’s precious and what’s not; in fact,my first customer still visits me,” he smiles.

It was also client servicing that helped Noorali Merchant and his son Iqbal,who started with a business in scrap opposite Mahim’s Victoria School in 1940s,to start a secondhand bookstore,followed by a store to rent and sell new books and then a DVD library. “It’s the books people would sell as part of scrap that triggered the business,” recounts Iqbal. Though like all other secondhand bookstores,Victoria also mostly deals in contemporary fiction,prodding results in Iqbal’s confession that their USP is their collection of old comics.

This kind of client servicing is taken to another level by Shashikant Sawant. He may have started out like the others but his passion for reading has elevated him to become a “book consultant” who will not only hunt down rare books on demand but also gauge a client’s tastes and suggest books to them. “Guidance is important so it does not put you off the subject and instead nurtures it,” he says. With a collection of close to 10,000 books between his residence at Vashi and a recently-opened store at Grant Road,he focuses on his regulars like Prabhakar Kolte and Akbar Padamsee by visiting them while his apprentice manages the store.