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Journalism of Courage
Written by Viraj Mandar Paranjape
In the heart of Camp, where Pune’s colonial past still lingers in its narrow lanes, sits Gulzar Restaurant, a century-old Irani café that has quietly witnessed history. Established in the 1920s by Sayyed Ali, a migrant from Iran, the cafe was named “Gulzar,” a Persian word for a flower garden in bloom.
“My grandfather wanted people to feel this place was like a gulzar — full of life and warmth — where you could taste authentic Irani chai in India, back when such flavours were rare,” says current owner Ali, the third-generation owner of the establishment.
Even a hundred years later, Gulzar’s prices remain rooted in affordability. A cup of Irani chai costs just Rs 20, far lower than the Rs 30–40 charged by modern Irani cafes. The bun maska — “no one else uses real Amul butter,” Ali stresses – sells for Rs 60. The egg paratha (Rs 40) has long been a bachelor’s favourite, while kheema (Rs 100), bun omelette (Rs 60 for two eggs), kebab parathas, and the quirky vada paratha continue to draw loyal regulars.
But Gulzar is remembered for more than food. In the late 1960s, a lanky newcomer to films named Amitabh Bachchan would frequent the café during shoots in Pune. “He was new in the industry then,” Ali recalls. “He loved our Irani chai and bun maska combo. He would sit here for hours, and sometimes even used Gulzar as his changing room between shoots.”
What was once a struggling actor’s quiet refuge has now become part of the cafe’s folklore — Bachchan, unknowingly, etched Gulzar into Pune’s cultural memory. Other celebrities also found their way here. Cricketer Vinod Kambli was a fan of Gulzar’s mutton paya, often ordering large portions for parties. A Persian artist even painted a portrait of the restaurant nearly 40 years ago, a piece of art that still hangs on its walls.
For Ali, the cafe is a legacy intertwined with his own life. “When I was 10, I started by delivering 600 dabbas from here. Iranians and Palestinians who came to Pune for education were our regulars back then. Even today, people return with their kids and say, ‘We used to come here as children.’ That continuity makes Gulzar special.”
The restaurant’s story has even reached beyond Pune. A branch in Arambol, Goa, run by Ali’s nephew, tried to replicate the same “Goa vibe” that one customer once remarked upon, though it is now being relocated within the state.
“People in Pune are very loving,” Ali says simply. “That has been true from my grandfather’s time to mine.” And in that warmth, Gulzar continues to thrive—still brewing nostalgia, one cup of chai at a time.
Viraj Mandar Paranjape is an intern at The Indian Express.
