Food and pretty lasses apart, Samovar had a special ambience. Many of India's most famous painters—Husain, Raza, Anjolie Menon, Ara, Souza, Padamsee, Sabavala, Krishen Khanna, Mansaram, Shreshtha, Gujral—exhibited at the Jehangir and used Samovar to meet old friends and make new ones. Film personalities like Amitabh Bachchan (his first date with Jaya was at Samovar), Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahni (Usha Khanna's uncle), Sunil Dutt, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, I.S. Johar, Kabir Bedi (he got married to Protima there), Shyam Benegal, Mani Kaul, Shekhar Kapur, Kumar Shahani and Govind Nihalani were customers over the years. I know because I often met them there. Bombay's page three crowd—Shobhaa De, Dolly Thakore, Anil Dharker, Gerson da Cunha, Alyque Padamsee—were also regulars, though I suspect they rarely go there now, not with the lure of invites to glamorous sponsored parties at star hotels. Samovar's other big names that come to mind are Dom Moraes, the editor of this magazine (Vinod Mehta), Frank Simoes, Behram (Busybee) Contractor, Partap Sharma, Dina Vakil, Kamleshwar, Vidia Naipaul, Charles Correa and Girish Karnad. The restaurant was—and remains—a meeting and eating space for some of the best in the creative field. If the Jehangir Art Gallery and the adjoining Prince of Wales Museum get their way, this unique space will have to go. Samovar was served an eviction notice two years ago, which Usha is battling in the courts. She has offered to pay higher rent. No go. They want her out. Maharashtra's chief minister has promised "to look into the matter". He should—and decide in favour of Samovar.
