Vaikunthlal Mehta Road: Named after man who developed co-operative movement, street a crowd favourite for selfie lovers, Bachchan fans

The co-operative movement that assisted agricultural marketing in India, and especially in Maharashtra, played an important role in development in the years immediately after Independence.

‘Selfie point’ with an ‘I Love Mumbai’ installation used as a backdrop; (right) V M Road signboard. Mohamed Thaver

It may be a humble 1.3-km stretch in suburban Juhu, but Vaikunthlal Mehta Road has one of the must-visit spots of Mumbai’s tourist circuit, the residence of superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Named after the veteran Congress leader and Gandhian, Vaikunthlal Mehta, who played a pivotal role in setting up co-operatives in the country, the road today stretches from Juhu Tara Road to SV Road, and is home to gardens, eateries, pubs and also a ‘selfie point’ where people can take photographs against the backdrop of an ‘I Love Mumbai’ public art installation. Local residents say barring traffic problems, the road is a perfect hangout spot, especially during the weekends.
The co-operative movement that assisted agricultural marketing in India, and especially in Maharashtra, played an important role in development in the years immediately after Independence. According to veteran journalist Kumar Ketkar, Mehta was a Gandhian during the years of the freedom struggle and then started the co-operative movement in India along with Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil, pioneer of Maharashtra’s sugar co-operatives, and noted economist Dhananjay Gadgil.

“Vaikunthlal Mehta was one of the pioneers of the co-operative movement in India. While he pushed for cooperatives in urban areas, Patil worked in the rural areas along with Gadgil to launch the movement,” Ketkar said. Mehta was also known to be a direct associate of Mahatma Gandhi and was inspired by Gandhi’s emphasis on the role of co-operatives. Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj or village self-rule included the establishment of cooperatives that he believed would not only develop village industries but also promote group effort by them.

Apart from the road, the Vaikunthlal Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM) in Pune is also named after him. Known to be an inspiration for the likes of Dr Verghese Kurien, creator of Amul India, the National Cooperative Union of India organises the Vaikunthbhai Mehta Memorial Lecture in New Delhi in recognition of his services in the Indian cooperative movement.

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The road named after him — identified only as V M Road even on Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation boards — is home to Bachchans’ bungalow Jalsa. The end of VM Road sees regular crowds of tourists especially on Sundays. “If you want to see the kind of following he has, come here on Sunday evening around 5.30 pm. There are huge crowds of tourists that come to see him. Sometimes when he is around he does wave out to them. A lot of people also assemble here on October 11 which is his birthday,” says a security guard at the bungalow.

As one walks further down the road there are bungalows, art galleries, high-end pubs and outlets of international clothing brands. Slightly ahead is the ‘selfie point’ created by local Member of Legislative Assembly Ameet Satam. Inspired by similar designs in Budapest and Hong Kong, the spot has an ‘I Love Mumbai’ installation used as a backdrop for clicking photographs. Several students from the nearby Mithibai and NM Colleges are seen clicking group photographs on Tuesday afternoon.

Further ahead to the left is the Pushpa Narsee Park, a small triangular park with a cycling track along the periphery. It also has a children’s playing area. One lane away is the Juhu Joggers Park that is popular among runners. Hundreds of senior citizens also throng the park.

Local residents, however, complain of traffic along the stretch, especially during the evenings. Westina Lewis, a local resident, says, “There are crowds from the colleges nearby. Also, in the evenings, people take the road to go to Juhu beach. Especially during weekends, the traffic becomes unbearable. Barring the traffic, however, this is a good road as compared to the SV Road further down that is perennially noisy and congested.”

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