Monday, November 21, 2011

Chor Bazaar again!

- By Deepa Krishnan

Among the most fun things you can do on a Sunday is go to Chor Bazaar.

I went with Walt and Mary, a couple of fun Canadians, and they were great company. In the past they owned retail stores, so they understood the pleasure of pottering around looking for great finds.


The two photos below are from a shop that does "sets" for Hindi movies. Everything is over-the-top and glitzy, and would be perfect in scenes with grand villas and sweeping staircases!


Hah! Look at that lion! I can imagine a villainous Amrish Puri standing in some haveli with tiger-skins on the wall and his hand on the lion's head while a poor peasant trembles nearby :) And the marble fountain splashes water in the background.


Should I have brought those two little marble dogs home? I certainly could not have brought the rather grand-looking lions!

Apart from the marble stuff, there are lots of old posters, old metal biscuit tins, boxes of cigarettes, and other stuff that you simply don't see these days.


Is it just me or do you love this 'Little Stuff' shop too? It's like a magnet, no? It is very tempting to bring some of it home. Last time I went, I brought three brass milk-cans home, in three sizes, to arrange in a row.


I was quite taken with this poster of a wicked-looking Pran from the 1971 movie Adhikaar. Check out the video here. Pran is "Banne Khan Bhopali", a lipstick-wearing flamboyant singer. The hero of the movie is Ashok Kumar, and the plot involves an illegimate child and lots of misunderstandings. Ah, the seventies!


I simply can't get enough of this stuff. I'm going back again another day, of course! Anyone want to come with me?

10 comments:

  1. Yes, would love to come. Let me know when.

    ReplyDelete
  2. shobna5:28 PM

    just say the date

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Deepa - really interesting and well written blog. You have a great theme. Do check out my blog on why the West is the new East is the West among other things... http://www.laxmihariharan.com/2011/10/greed-is-god.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:45 AM

    hi to all www.mumbai-magic.blogspot.comers this is my first post and thought i would say a big hello to yous -
    speak soon
    g moore

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Pran poster (Adhikar) is terrific.

    He oozes menace even in the poster. I was a little scared just looking at the poster.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:48 PM

    I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post's to be precisely what I'm looking for. Would you offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn't mind composing a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write regarding here. Again, awesome blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What an interesting collection.
    Pran is one villain whom everyone "loved"
    Like that address of "Little Stuff"
    Mutton Street Bom-3 (did not succumb to the pressure of changing to Mum-3)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Benoit6:03 PM

    What a pleasure to prepare the trip to Mumbai.
    No need to seek into books a place to be. Just need to read this fantastic blog.

    See u in the market on Sunday !

    Benoit

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would love to go someday...

    http://www.shubhisrevels.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice post ! Read mine from my visit to Chor Bazaar at

    http://tiarainwonderland.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/the-sights-and-shor-of-chor-bazaar/

    I wish I had seen your post before my trip :) very well written and informative !

    ReplyDelete