Conversation with Shukla ji, Paan shop owner in E-Block (2016)
Rajiv Gandhi came to buy his paan whenever he visited Amitabh Bachchan who lived here (23, Pooriv Marg). So did Amitabh himself. Several other luminaries have come to his stall for paan.
Times have changed in a myriad ways:
Now 15 and 16 year old children from the schools in the vicinity come to buy cigarettes, girls claiming to be of age (18) also and then they sneak behind a corner and take long drags.
When he set up shop 43 years ago there were fewer shops and more people who would hang about the paan stall because they had time on their hands and lots of interface time.
Now with mobile phones people order rather than stroll down to the paan walla.
Years ago people preferred meetha paan, but now with health consciousness or diabetes on the rise, they aren’t so popular
His paan stall in Vasant Vihar served him well in supporting his family. His son was in NDTV and now he’s in Bollywood. His daughter-in-law was also in NDTV and used to make their program promos.