A Poet’s Guide To Mumbai

Like each city has its own charms, I find Mumbai incredibly poetic for the most part. Minus the parts where I’m battling for breath in an over-crowded local train. Fort’s colonial architecture reminiscent of a bygone age, the Arabian sea that kisses the island each day and stories of old communities that can be excavated from its new age landscape have inspired much of my own writings in verse. Though even if you find my musings slightly dramatic, poets in the city will agree that if you desire to express and engage with verse, the city won’t disappoint.

A rather unique poetic corner in Mumbai is on Waroda Road in Bandra. On the walls of the Haiku JAM office building is painted in vibrant shades of yellow, orange and white, a mural featuring short poems in Hindi and English. What makes this wall art so fascinating for the poetic world is the fact that like poetry, it has the power to drive away daily blues and even connect strangers who might happen to walk by. However after a rather meticulous navigation through the pages of history and the art ghettos of the present day, we compiled a complete guide for poetry aficionados in Mumbai. Whether you are interested in the legends of the city’s most renowned poets or want a platform to perform your own creations, we found a space for every kind of poetry lover. So scroll down, for an intimate journey through all the nooks and corners that breathe poetry into the city.

An Ode To The Poets Of A Bygone Age

One of the most forgotten art movements in the country is the thriving modernist poetry of Bombay between the 1960s and 1970s. What perhaps kickstarted the movement was when when iconic Indian poets like Nissim Ezekiel, Dom Moraes and Adil Jussawalla, along with others such as Gieve Patel and Arun Kolatkar, formed personal connections with each other in Bombay. Their role in the city’s literary landscape sees a glimpse in The Solitude Of Emperors, a novel by David Davidar. “It was a city of poets and cafés… Dom hammering away with one finger at his typewriter in Sargent House, spectacles slipping down his nose as the poems ran wild in his head, Adil holding court in his eyrie on Cuffe Parade, Nissim spinning his demotic verse in coffee houses and poets’ gatherings, Kolatkar with his strange fierce epic about gods of stone,” says one of Davidar’s characters in the novel.

Along with them there was also a wide range of poetry collectives formed by other renowned poets that aimed at publishing their work in self-financed magazines and quarterlies like Kavi, Clearing House, Newground and Praxis. These collectives even regularly met to discuss their work. One of the locations was the Marine Drive house of the enigmatic Kerala poet Kamala Das. These informal gatherings catalysed Bombay’s first structured organization for poets in 1987– the Poetry Circle. This thriving culture of collectively sharing and creating poetry between the older and younger generations began to wane as the 2000s approached and a large part of the city’s poetry community shifted online. If you are still craving for a bit more of nostalgia with “an overdose of sex, drugs and booze,” we suggest you pick up a copy of Jeet Thayil’s novel, The Book Of Chocolate Saints which is an ode (of sorts) to Bombay’s modernist poets.

The Present Poetry Hubs

Coming back to the present, the city’s poetry scene has largely moved on from traditional circles to Spoken Word Poetry- incorporating verse with rhyme. The mushrooming experimental spaces along with numerous cafes turned performance venues are where you will find young poets marking their turf.

The one place you are sure to find an evening of poetry is The Habitat in Khar. Though it’s known as the Comedy and Music Club, Habitat is at the forefront of organising open mics featuring a range of spoken word poets. It’s also where you are most likely to hear homegrown talents like Devroop M Sharma best known for his poem ‘Aadmi Bada Accha Hai’ and Mohammed Sadriwala and Rakesh Tiwari. If you are a meticulous planner, then mark your calendar for Cuckoo Club’s fortnightly exclusive open mic for poets. Hosting India’s longest running series of open mics, the folks of this Bandra space are strongly dedicated to promoting the performing arts. Accompanied by a mad jury of audience members and peers who will judge you on your originality, content and performance you won’t be disappointed here. Another engaging spot for poets in Mumbai is the The Poetry Club, that meets once a month in the city. It is popular for carrying on a tradition of crossover poetry- where poems from various languages are recited and shared. Their events have featured renowned poets like the English poetess Rochelle Potkar, Marathi poets like Tukaram Dhande, Bharat Daundkar and Hindi poets like Saurabh Jain and Mohinder Pratap Singh along with German poetess Ulrike Almut Sandig. If you want a taste of something more experimental then we suggest you take a trip to G5A Foundation For Contemporary Culture at Lower Parel, Mumbai’s newest venue for the souls seeking art. One of their regular poetry events, that takes place every Friday evening, features a fresh line up of young independent poets, musicians and storytellers -all sharing one stage!

Poetry On Pages

Another way to keep yourself updated about the poetry events in the city is to keep an eye out on labels that organise poetry events. There are a number of them that make it to the top of our list. Starting with Airplane Poetry Movement , a project that aims at creating safe spaces for students to find their voice and use it through spoken word poetry. Founded in 2013, they have been working towards bringing spoken word poetry to colleges and schools as a tool for expression, creativity and empowerment through workshops, slams and performances. They were also behind India’s first ever National Youth Poetry Slam in September 2016, where representatives from colleges and schools all across the country participated to win the Grand Slam title. This winning team represented India at CUPSI - USA’s largest inter-university slam poetry competition.

Mumbai has also been host to the country’s first ever Spoken Word Festival. Organised by Kommune- one of India’s largest platforms for curating performance arts, the event even saw artists like actress Kalki Koechlin and comedian Tanmay Bhatt perform. Another one of our favourites is Open Sky Slam, which each month gathers budding artists, including poets for an eclectic performance based event. Its non-competitive environment has won many accolades for the warmth and creativity that it produces. The last on our list is UnErase Poetry, they believe in making the world a better place through spoken word poetry and its social impact. One of their most recent events, co-organised with Spill Poetry was the The Poetry Confluence, that celebrated the journey of Indian Spoken Word Poetry over the last year. It included performances by the labels’ best poets, panel discussions with curators, spoken word artists, writers, activists and filmmakers.

The Charm Of Old World Poetry

“Woh kare baat toh har lafz se khushboo aaye, Aisi boli wohi bole jise Urdu aaye”-Ahmed Wasi

(When he talks, each word has a fragrance, such is possible only with those who know the language of Urdu.)

If you fancy being seduced by the country’s indigenous tongue of poetry- Urdu (now mostly alive through Hindustani) then gatherings by Irshaad–home to the young shayars of the city is where you should be. Along with open mics at Q-Tube Cafe in Bandra they have regular mehfils and mushairas at Harkat Studio in Andheri. Here the space transforms into a dimly lit room, by a traditional oil lamp while verses and melodies come alive in an intimate circle of poets and audience. This is also a more discerning space for poetry where emotion must harmonise with technique.

Honing Your Skills

If you are looking to sharpen your writing skills, there are plenty of avenues in the city as well. All the above mentioned poetry venues, labels and collectives organise workshops conducted by both academics and local poetry stars. This is where you can explore and learn the language of poetry–spoken word, gazal and even the haiku. If you are looking for a more committed discipline towards poetry, the Poetry School is where you should be investing your time. Started by 30-year-old lecturer Anish Vyavahare who is also the founder of Poetry Tuesdays, its first four-month long course commenced in August last year. The students which were of a diverse age-group, were exposed to both extensive reading and writing exercises. Where as lectures held by mentors from the poetry community, helped the students find their distinct voice.

While the world of poetry in Mumbai might seem rather winding, once you become a regular at the usual haunts, you will realise that it’s a rather close knit community. You will find yourself invited to both informal gatherings and soirées, where poets of the city discuss and share their work and some even find moments of spontaneous inspiration to write! So take a break from the demands of urban life, grab a pen and paper and head to explore Mumbai’s poetic world.

Photo Courtesy: Outlook India

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