Uday Farsan

Ganesh Peth is a crowded place, and our spot in Darpan Society at 518 is always right in the middle of the noise. We spend our days making farsan, which involves a lot of frying and mixing. The air inside is heavy with the smell of oil and spices, and it gets pretty hot near the large vats where we cook. We start our mornings by checking the ingredients and getting the dough ready. It is a lot of manual labor, standing on our feet for hours and making sure the snacks are fried just right. People stop by all day long, some looking for a small bag to eat on the way and others buying in bulk for their homes. We don't have a fancy storefront or any big signs. It’s just us working away, filling bags and weighing them on the old scale. Sometimes it gets so busy we barely have time to talk to each other. The floor can get a bit slippery if we aren't careful, so we are always sweeping up. By the end of the shift, our clothes smell like the kitchen, and we are ready to head home. It is a simple business, but it keeps us busy and we like the routine of it. We know the people in the neighborhood and they know where to find us when they want something to munch on while they walk through the busy street.