“He was radiant, energetic, moved at lightning speed. But beneath all that people could see about him, there lay an incredible charisma that emerged from deep within, and it was purely spiritual.” Sipping traditional cardamom black chai , Aqa Bomanjee Kohinoor reminisced about being in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of a nation that has shared, as he puts it, “an endearing brotherhood of centuries” with his motherland. The living legend of India’s Iranian community and the father of Persian cuisine in India, Aqa Bomanjee Kohinoor shared titbits from his life in rugged Yazdi Persian, gentle Parsee-Gujarati and British-Indian English.
As a student of his mother tongue, I could relate to the affable nonagenarian on a deeper level than most others. He spontaneously unravelled his secret elixir: life itself! “ Yek lahzeh ghaafel shodam, saad saal az raaham door shod ” (I became ignorant for a moment, and a hundred years of life just passed by), he quoted a beautiful Persian verse. Classical poetry is a passion.
At his iconic restaurant Britannia & Co. in Mumbai’s Ballard Pier area, ‘Aqa’ (Sir in Persian) as he is fondly addressed, personally takes orders from guests of varied nationalities. “I make a special trip to Mumbai during my Indian visits just to spend time with Aqa and grab a bite of the legendary Zereshk Polo even though Mumbai may not be on my itinerary,” smiles Patricia, a German executive.
Not for Aqa Boman, the new-age mantras and high-flying philosophical perspectives. “My father once told me when I was young and impressionable, ‘Son, promise me you will never drink alcohol, smoke or chew tobacco or womanise if you want to live long and healthy’. Guess what? I just stuck to it!” he laughs! Indeed, while most of his colleagues called it quits, Aqa’s day begins at dawn, followed by an exchange of smiles, anecdotes and blessings with new faces from new countries, a healthy diet and good rest. “In his presence, strangers become friends, sometimes, friends for life. Everyone who comes by seems to look beautiful and leaves with the same smile on their lips despite their linguistic diversity. As Rumi once said, ‘love turns vinegar to wine, death to life, fire to light’, his love for life and people can bring even a statue to life,” explains Karthik Ramanathan, a die-hard fan of Aqa and his culinary legacy.
Born in 1923, Aqa Boman Kohinoor is known as the cultural ambassador of Iranian culture in India. His father Aqa Rashid, a Zarthushti Irani immigrant from Iran’s Yazd province, established the restaurant in the same year, ‘the man with many names’ as he is called, pioneered traditional Persian cuisine in the country. “Bomanjee, Boman Shah, Bahman jaan — as he is variously called — brought the original cuisine of his motherland to India for the first time. It is a taste of Iran that we leave on their taste buds along with the sweetness of friendship in their hearts,” says Chef Afshin Kohinoor, India’s pioneering Persian chef.
The all-time Zereshk Polo, a signature Iranian rice preparation with ingredients imported all the way from Tehran, and the Baklava, a mouth-melting traditional pastry are among his internationally celebrated delicacies.
Personally acknowledged by Queen Elizabeth for his hospitality and culinary excellence, Aqa spares no pains in displaying Her Majesty’s letter to his guests. At the restaurant, along an image of the Prophet Zarathushtra are displayed one of the Mahatma and a meticulously framed photograph of Her Majesty that she personally sent him. The flags of three countries catch one’s eye. “The Iranian flag represents my motherland, the Indian flag, the country where I do business, and the British flag is a tribute to the people who helped us establish this place,” he smiles.
Merhabaanjee, his half-brother, explains Aqa’s secret to life. The brothers share Omar Khayyam in an accent that brings alive the land of their forefathers “ Mey nosh, ke omr e jaavedaani in ast. Khod haaselat az dowr e javaani in ast. Hengaam e gol o baade o yaaraan sarmast. Khosh baash dami ke zendegaani in ast .” (Drink the wine of life for this is the eternal elixir. Like youth that blossom and endears forever. With friends, flowers and wine, be glad in the moment for this is life!).
