Mumbai Masala: Fort Favourite Returns

Fort Central Hotel on Cawasji Patel Road was a restaurant popular with office-goers in the Fort area. Its chole-batura was justly famous. Even though it was doing well, for some inexplicable reason, it downed shutters a few years ago, much to the disappointment of its regular patrons. The Mehras of the famous Crystal vegetarian restaurant at Chowpatty have mercifully opened a branch where Fort Central once stood. The taste is almost the same. Yesterday, we had bhindi masala, dal makhni, lachha paratha, tandoor roti and steamed basmati rice, and washed it down with chhaas. The bill came to less than Rs700- full value for money. However, we would advise you to strictly avoid the washroom area. We then drove down to Girgaum Kitchen on Khadilkar Road and had sukrunde with desi ghee poured over it for dessert. It was an afternoon well spent.

A Day Out

Bharatmata lights up again

Bharatmata, the cinema hall in the heart of Mumbai, reopened recently without any fanfare. It mostly screened Marathi films. In fact, while other theatres shunned Marathi movies, Bharatmata took pride in showing them. We would take a BEST bus to Lalbaug, stand in a queue outside the ticket windows along with mill hands, and watch Dada Kondke crack double entendre jokes, thespian Nilu Phule display his histrionic prowess, and Alka Kubal mesmerise with her come-hither look. During the interval, we had vada pav with fiery chutney and cutting chai. Almost every movie was paisa vasool. With Bollywood smothering Marathi films, Bharatmata’s patrons dwindled. Though leaders claiming to champion the cause of Marathi promised to reopen the cinema hall, nothing happened. We are happy that someone has taken the trouble to refurbish the hall and light up the screen once again.

Waterman’s warning

The other day, Rajinder Singh, the ‘Waterman of Rajasthan’, came to the FPJ studio for an interview. Despite being a Water Nobel Prize and Magsaysay award winner, he had no airs about him. He spoke straight from the heart and was deeply concerned about the sharply deteriorating environmental situation in India. Later, while delivering the annual Darryl D’Monte lecture at the Patrakar Sangh, he became emotional while talking about the general failure of the courts to uphold the Constitution in environmental matters. However, he was happy that the Supreme Court stayed its own decision in the Aravalli mountain case. More power to people like him.

Tailpiece

It now appears that Mumbai is divided between those who have been to Rameshwaram Cafe and those who haven’t! (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)

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Published on: Monday, April 06, 2026, 11:23 AM IST