“I came to Mumbai only to meet Salman Khan. I am originally from Bihar. When I left home for a short trip to Mumbai in 2002, I had told my friends that I wouldn’t return without meeting him,” says Birju Shaw, whose dream has now made him a proud Mumbaikar, who also happens to be the owner of `A Book Shop` located in Bandra (Waroda Road).
It’s been 10 years now that he has his store in the suburb and it`s helped him get a glimpse of the actor on many occasions but still not close enough to meet him. However, he isn`t giving up any time soon, and in the process, has made a life in the city.
Hoping to meet Salman Khan
It`s not like the bookseller hasn`t seen Khan over the years. He first saw the actor during a premier show of Mangal Pandey at an INOX movie theatre. Since then, Shaw has seen Khan many times. He says, “Although I did see him in his apartment more often, I have not once approached him as I have always entered the building for my work. I fear that what if I get prohibited from entering the premises?”
Happy Shaw posing with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Photo Courtesy: Birju Shaw
Having jumped many hoops along the way, he is not going to put his dream in jeopardy, is he? It`s simply because Shaw has come a long way. It started with a job at a bookstore in South Mumbai only so that he was able to survive in the city. It`s the only job that Shaw, who has studied in a Hindi medium school in Bihar but failed his 10th standard, could take up at that time.
Eventually, he ended up setting up his bookshop at Flora Fountain, popularly known for booksellers. However, a raid by the city’s municipal corporation compelled all the booksellers including Shaw to set up their stalls elsewhere in Mumbai.
This is how Shaw landed in Bandra. He says, “I used to roam around the city in search of scrap stores to purchase second-hand books. I knew there was a scrap store in Bandra’s Topaz apartments. A library named Topaz used to exist there before the scrap store could take over the place. I decided to take the same store on rent and set up my bookstore while also keeping the scrap store operational.”
One can find a variety of books at this store from comics, novels, children’s book to vintage books as well. Photo Courtesy: Aakanksha Ahire
Shaw’s move yielded great benefits as many loyal customers of Topaz library rejoiced thinking it had reopened and helped attract sufficient attention to the bookstall.
He says, “I knew that setting up a store near Salman Khan’s apartment would have someone from his building call me to collect scrap. This could allow me to get a glimpse of him.”
Now, apart from the bookstall on Waroda Road, he has also recently opened his first branch under the same name on Chapel Road. It is safe to say, business is doing well. Merely a tourist, he may have not once imagined making Mumbai his home over 20 years ago. While his meeting with Khan is yet to happen, today, he boasts of not one but two bookshops, that he has built through humble beginnings.
Popularity in the bylanes of Bandra
So, it is only obvious that Shaw takes immense pride in his store as it holds a variety of books from novels, children’s books, and comics to general knowledge books. What makes this bookstore stand out from others in the city is that it also sells vintage books, newspapers, and magazines.
Called `A Book Shop`, it is a small aesthetic-looking store that is appealing to the eye of any onlooker. Besides having books within the store, Shaw also displays the books on a shelf placed adjacent to his store. This allows his customers to browse through the books freely. Since it is on the inner lane, the store may be a bit hard to find but if you know Bandra well enough, it`s only a few paces away from the newly opened Veronica`s, and in the same lane as famous sneaker store VegNonVeg.
The lane may be small but is always busy with tourists enamoured with Bandra`s quaint homes. So, for Shaw, selling books has never been an issue. While he cannot put a number to the total copies sold daily, the bookseller says, a minimum of 10 books are sold each day, which is encouraging, considering the competition around him in the suburb. “There have also been days when I have sold 100 books a day,” says Shaw. Besides selling, he also purchases second-hand books. This enables him to make every kind of book available to his customers.
Across Mumbai, many booksellers have spoken about how the advent of e-books has affected the sale of hard copies, however, Shaw sounds rather unbothered. He says, “The sale of books did get affected when e-books were a new trend on the market. However, a few years down the line, its craze faded. People returned to buying hard copies. Most of my customers said they enjoyed holding an actual paper book instead of an electronic device to truly enjoy the experience of reading.”
Like many other booksellers in the city, Shaw says, “I am confident the sale of hard copies will never go down. These books, classic as well as new, are a rich source of knowledge for all.”
The Mumbaikar`s confidence comes from a happy anecdote that occurred after the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was lifted. “My customers rushed down to the store. It was as if they were waiting for me to open the shop. A lady who has been my customer for years came to the store the day I opened it. While she had come intending to buy just one book, she ended up buying 25 books. Customers told me they were bored of watching movies and web series,” says a delighted Shaw.
He also adds that before the lockdown, the percentage of the younger generation reading books was considerably low. However, that has changed after the pandemic as more of them have taken an interest in reading.
Demand for Indian authors
Shaw has observed that people generally enjoy reading books by international authors more than Indian authors. However, there are a select few Indian authors whose books have an exceptional demand, such as Amish Tripathi, Chetan Bhagat, and Durjoy Dutta, which we notice are kept above others.
Even as he gets a lot of older readers, he says the younger generation is reading diverse subjects. He explains, “About 80 per cent of the younger generation is reading books on finance, investment, and share markets, and only 20 per cent are reading novels.”
However, that doesn`t mean he doesn`t recommend books to people. It`s the experience that he has gained over time that helps him do it. Since he isn`t well-educated, Shaw asks his customers for reviews. He says, “I can read English but I don’t understand the meaning of the words. So, I ask my customers for their reviews on books. Based on their reviews, I recommend books to my new customers.”
At `A Book Shop`, books are sold for prices depending on the writer and not by their size. The more popular a writer is the more the cost. That being said, books are starting at Rs 10 and go up to Rs 1,000. “Price of vintage books is high as they are rare and antique. I have a book by Henri Matisse, a French visual artist, that holds 20 of his illustrations, having his original signature. It is a limited edition of the 1935 New York Publication. I am probably the only one in India to have the copy. The same copy is in the US that is up for sale for over 12000 dollars. I keep such books at home in a safe.”
From Bihar to Mumbai
A treasure that is as valuable as his dream to meet Khan. Shaw is lucky because even as he pursues his dream to meet Khan, he has had the opportunity to meet other Indian celebrities. Since Bandra is home to many celebrities and also a common hangout place for people from the film industry, it is only normal for a store like Shaw’s to have celebrity customers as well. He says, “There are a lot of television actors who buy books from me but my favourite memory was when famous Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor set his foot into my store. He asked me if I had kept his books for sale. I laughed. `Which bookstore will not have your book?`, I asked,” he narrates. It is not only Kapoor but also Ishaan Khatter, who has visited the store. While he didn’t buy any books, Shaw told us that Khatter did check out books by Salman Rushdie.
Calling Mumbai his home
Along the way, Shaw has been making sufficient money for a living. So, he eventually decided to bring his family here. He lives in the city with his wife and two children. “Running a bookstore gave me the chance to converse with customers who were highly educated. It helped me see that Mumbai offered quality education. I wanted that for my children. I am not educated, but I wanted my children to be highly educated. Today my daughter is an advocate and my son just passed his CBSE board examination scoring 85 per cent. He will now prepare to be an IPS officer. My chest swells with pride today. My children’s high qualifications are my true earnings in life.”
Building a social media presence
Now that he and his family are settled, Shaw wants to build a bigger business. While the second bookshop is only a start, the power of social media cannot be ignored and there`s where he wants to be next. It is one of the many lessons he learned from a customer too. “A married couple once stopped by to check out my vintage collection. The woman suggested that I put up my vintage books for sale online on eBay. She told me there were buyers from foreign countries willing to purchase such books. She also asked me if I had a social media presence. Since then, I have been toying with the idea of starting.”
However, due to his lack of knowledge about the medium, he is planning on appointing someone from the new generation to help build his brand online. Shaw is keen on having freshers or even students who are looking for a freelancing opportunity or pocket money. Shaw’s plans visibly reflect his love for what he does and his willingness to adapt to the new times.
While he continues to build his life here, ask Shaw if he has gone back home and he jokes, “I have not gone back to Bihar thinking my friends will tease me if I tell them I have yet not met Salman Khan.” However, 10 years later Shaw still lives in the hope that a day will arise when he will finally meet the actor and exchange a warm smile.
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