Among the many Indian cities of the nawabs, the picturesque Bhopal holds a special charm. Filled with lakes and majestic palaces, it is also home to the fabled patiyas (stone slabs) and patiyabaaz who, each evening, turn tea stalls and the foyers of havelis into veritable chat rooms, plonking themselves on these proverbial patiyas, discussing the earth, the moon and everything in between. They provide not just intellectual fodder to the city and its denizens but also a sense of camaraderie. Meeting over ‘namak wali chai’, they share the spicy doings of the people, creating a stir and a murmur.
People like the late President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, former MP K.N. Pradhan and hockey player Aslam Sher Khan would gather at Najja Dada ka patiya to discuss politics. Sometimes the patiyas turned into mushairas, where poets recited their works. The debates were so intense and relevant that the nawabs posted their moles to preempt a conspiracy against them – much like the famous barber Soorma Bhopali from the blockbuster film Sholay who was actually a mole for the jailer.
Keeping this tradition alive in this wired up world is Nawabzada Raashid Ali of Bhopal, whose ingenious initiative, ‘Bhopali Tales’, on Facebook and YouTube is steadfastly emerging as the most iconic narrative of the city’s past and present. Creating engaging content, he invites his fellow nobles to rekindle ‘patiyabaazi’ online and share anecdotes on many a symbol from princely life: the masculine jeeps, the succulent kebabs, the guns that roared and the gun salute states which reigned. Like the proverbial Pied Piper, he leads them into a world of yore, sharing videos, hosting engaging contests like ‘Nawab of Kebab’, posting black and white pictures from the past or showcasing legendary palaces constructed by the nawabs and begums of Bhopal.
“It all started with me sharing funny anecdotal tales on my Facebook page that got my peers hooked. They were all people who had lived in this city at some point and felt a sense of belonging through these tales. They egged me on and felt that these ‘Bhopali tales’ should be catalogued and shared with younger generations to keep the sense of pride and belonging alive in them,” shares Raashid.
Raashid is joined in this endeavor by equally invested admins like Fowad Arif, also from a leading noble family of Bhopal, Irum Dastagir Khan, who runs a PR firm in Muscat, Ravi Kant Reddy, who helms an equally engaging forum in Hyderabad, and Danish Anwar, a wiz with jeeps. Together they create content that can be safely termed endearing and organic, even in these cosmetic times. On the platform, you have people sharing images of their bikes, their paan daans, buttons, plates, the proverbial takhallus, or pen-names, which Bhopal is famous for, family portraits and interesting anecdotes related to the old Bhopal. Another important part is the food, which, according to Raashid, is at the heart of Bhopal. “Our contest ‘Nawab of Kebab: Kaun Banega Kebabpati’ had 53 video entries that were shared by real chefs. Many were women, many entries came from abroad and many from those who had no links to the city but were simply proud chefs,” he shares.
“Bhopal, like many other historic cities of the world, is burgeoning with regal history and families who have witnessed it first hand. They have so much to say and share. This page simply provided them the platform to do so,” he adds.
In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that it is also becoming a soft spot for many people of royal and noble lineage across India and the globe. As the Princess of Balasinor, Aaliya, shares, “It is a highly interactive forum where each of us gets a sense of belonging. It’s heartening how I get so many comments on my posts. People really share their thoughts with each other.” The admins also remain in close touch with key contributors to the group which include Ajazul Haq, Ajayraj Singh Begu, Mirza Samir Baig, Adityaveer Ranawat, Anu Vikram Karjali, Saad Bin Waqas, Rishi Pagnis, Ashar Kidwai, Rizwanullah Khan, Rizwanuddin Ansari and Pritam Haoban. They post regularly and remain active, keeping the content relevant and engaging.
Priyadarshini Raje Scindia from Gwalior is also an active member of the group. “Priya, in fact, has asked us to highlight Madhya Pradesh’s ‘best kept secrets’, which we will do. MP, regal and royal, has played a very important role in princely history and has much to offer, along with its majestic flora and fauna, tribal and archaeological treasures, crafts and diversity. We are working on a royal trail that is totally orchestrated, quality-controlled and authentic at all times,” he says.
A chartered accountant and a highly accomplished corporate head honcho, Raashid has worked with biggies of the corporate world like KPMG, General Motors, PepsiCo and Damac Properties. The son of Sahibzada Faruq and Princess Mahbano Ali and grandson of Nawabzada Muhammad Rashid uz- Zafar Khan Bahadur Yemin-Ul-Mulk of Bhopal, he has now returned to his roots after residing in different parts of the globe, donning the cap he relates with the most: that of a restaurateur. “The Ruler of Dubai had this very ambitious plan to bring the world’s top 50 restaurants to Dubai. I led this endeavour and in the bargain met and got to know almost every Michelin star chef of the world,” he says. As a great connoisseur of cuisine himself, he and his wife, Ayesha, are famed for their splendid spreads at their gracious home, Shamla Kothi. He also runs a restaurant in Indore and Hyderabad, Jonathan’s Kitchen, which serves world cuisine.
Raashid concludes by saying, “The Nawab Begums of Bhopal created a majestic walled city which needs to be kept alive in the collective memory of modern Indians, and Bhopali Tales simply takes these stories to a forum which the youth identifies with.”