Spicezee BureauMumbai: Once a famous hangout joint for struggling writers, artists and filmmakers, the fate of Cafe Samovar at the Jehangir Art gallery premises today rests with Supreme Court. Fighting for long against its eviction, café owner Usha Khanna has now moved to the SC to challenge Bombay High Court order.
The café has been ordered to shut down on the grounds of illegal occupation. Nevertheless, with the café lovers that range from well-known filmmakers to amateur strugglers coming out in its full support, there seems some hope for Khanna.
Hoping for a positive nod from the SC, Devieka Bhojwani, daughter of Usha Khanna, said, “The SC is our last resort to salvage a place that has served the city well. Samovar is important to a lot of people and this whole battle has been a gross injustice.”
Standing strong for the past 45 years, the café has been at the helm of controversy since March 2005, when the gallery officials sent it an eviction notice on the pretext that the gallery needed additional exhibition space.