Iconic Strand Book Stall to shut shop end of this month

The Strand Book Stall on Sir P M Road, Fort, one of the most popular book stalls for generations in the city, will shut shop end of this month. The book stall will see its end a day after its maker T N Shanbhag’s ninth death anniversary, which falls on February 27. 

The stall, which first started as a kiosk inside the Strand Cinema on November 20, 1948, looked to cater to the reading audience of Independent India. It later moved to its present location in 1956. Late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Tatas, the Godrejs, and other well-heeled people of south Mumbai made it a point to visit the place often for its collection of books. 

Shanbhag, who started the book store, made it a point to ensure that people got to read at the best price - with a 20% discount. “He was an avid reader and would save from his meagre savings to buy books when he came to Mumbai as a student from Karnataka. Once he was very disappointed to have not been able to browse a book. He ensured that he put up a stall that would allow readers to browse and buy a book at a good price,” said Vidya Virkar, Shanbhag’s daughter who confirmed the stall shutting shop. 

Not able to sustain the business is the reason. “People now get books at a discounted price online, there is Kindle, there are lit fests, all of this made it difficult to sustain,” said Virkar, whose exhibitions were calender events for some.

Making money, however, was never the intention for running the shop. Strand would sell books at 20% discount from its present place that Shanbhag was given on rent without paying any Pagdi. “They liked the sincerity with which he was selling books the variety of books for people to be well read. They did not take any pagdi money and rent was less. We will be giving back the property,” said Virkar. 

The book exhibitions at Sunderbai Hall started from being a yearly to bi-annual affair till the renting of the place became expensive a couple of years ago. “In Bangalore, it was once so big that it was held at the Chinnaswamy stadium,” said Virkar. The Strand brand has already shut from all the cities and IT places where it used to run from.  And for the legacy to live, the variety of books that the family feels should not be lying on footpath, there is an even better discount at offer.