Mumbai: The humble vada pav is eaten by many, but remembered by a few. While August 23 is celebrated worldwide as World Vada Paav Day, only a handful Mumbaikars are aware of it. The ‘fastest fast food’ is what many Mumbaikars call it, vada pav is considered a biggest gift from Mumbai to foodies.
Many citizens, politicians and actors were unaware of this day. Shiv Sena, the ruling party of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which also own a chain of vada pav stalls across the city, were unaware of the Vada Pav Day. The party had started the chain of stalls to generate employment for Marathi youths in Mumbai.
Yashwant Jadhav, the Standing Committee chairman, was bashful when made aware of this day by FPJ. “Thanks for informing, I now know of the world Vada Paav day,” he jokingly said. Adding, “I will now rush to have two of them to celebrate this day.”
Another Sena Corporator and former BEST Committee Chairman Anil Kokil replied that he wanted to organise programmes to commemorate this day, but claimed to have prior commitments and meetings. “I had big plans for this day, but had to stall. Now I have decided to distribute a few vada pavs to my friends and party workers,” defended Kokil.
Meanwhile, the chairman Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Bank Deepak Parekh, otherwise a non-vegetarian who loves fish on the menu, prefers vegetarian food at home and loves to snack on vada pav. Marathi film actor, Sachin Khedekar said although he did not know of this day, the snack is the best reminder of Mumbai’s culture. “Vada pav is the best fusion discovered in Maharashtra. A burger is nothing compared to our vada pav. A burger is the Non-Resident Indian cousin of our vada pav,” Khedekar said.
