A Tea-Time Tale

A documentary film on the vanishing brotherhood of Irani tea-sellers has been getting rave reviews and awards from across the world. Dr. Veena Adige tracks down the maker of the film, Dr. Mansoor Yezdi (62), who has also revived the Irani cafe culture with a restaurant in Mumbai.

DR. Mansoor Showghi Yezdi (62) is a documentary filmmaker who has won a record of 84 national and international awards and is still going strong. His most famous ‘Cafe Irani Chai’, made in 2013, is a documentary film based on the Irani tea-sellers who came walking all the way from Yazd and Kerman, Iran in the 18th and the early 19th century and made India their permanent home. They became famous for their cafes, restaurants, and bakeries, serving the famous ‘bun maska’ and ‘Irani chai’ in Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad. Yezdi’s documentary ‘Cafe Irani Chai’ explores the evolution of the famous tea, the rapidly disappearing Irani restaurants in India, their fight for survival amidst skyrocketing estate prices, and the younger generation’s disinterest in carrying forward the legacy.

In fact, Mumbai was dotted with Irani cafes about four decades back when their number suddenly started dwindling. Mansoor Yezdi revived the quintessential Irani chai and opened a lovely place at Mahim called Cafe Irani Chaii. Small and spotlessly clean, surrounded by mirrors, and a full cupboard stacked with his many trophies, it has an old-world charm. The chairs, tables, and tablecloths reflect Iranian culture. Elaborating about the unique features of this cafe, he says, “Did you know that bentwood chairs (the chairs that are the trademark of the Irani cafes) used to be imported from Poland? Sadly, they are not manufactured any longer.”