The two videos below are created by “indiandocumentaries” and are posted on youtube.
Reader Dara Acidwalla also informs us of an article: The Quivering Café – The Touch of Iran in Mumbai compiled by Bhanu Pratap Singh and written/edited by A. Swarup
Inheritance of Loss: Part I
When the Zoroastrian Iranians came to India in the 19th century, they had no riches and were in search of a better livelihood. Mumbai (Bombay), at that time, was already home to another Zoroastrian community, the Parsis. A couple of Iranians worked in Parsi homes as caretakers and met in the evenings to discuss the life they had left behind, and their future prospects. One evening, a man served tea to everyone and charged them a small amount. The result: A business was born, of serving tea. And this was the beginning of an Irani café.