Mumtaz Zariwala

Mumtaz Zariwala is situated over at 8, Hampton Court on Wood House Road, right near the Colaba Post Office. It’s an old building, and it has a lot of character. We’ve been here for years, doing zari work. It’s a slow process that takes a lot of patience. If you come by, you’ll see us hunched over our frames, working with thread and beads. It isn't a modern office by any means. There are spools of thread everywhere and bits of fabric on the tables. We like the history of this area. Colaba has changed a lot, but our little corner in Hampton Court feels much the same as it always has. The light comes in through the old windows, and it’s usually pretty quiet inside compared to the street outside. We don’t do much advertising. People usually find us by word of mouth or because they’ve been coming to us for a long time. It’s a small operation. Just a few of us working together. We don’t have a corporate hierarchy. We just focus on the needles and the patterns. Sometimes our eyes get tired by the end of the day, but seeing a piece finished is a good feeling. We’re just regular people trying to keep a traditional craft going in a busy world. It’s a simple life, and we wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here on Wood House Road.