A.H. Wheeler, a heritage bookstore chain, has transformed to meet changing consumer needs at railway stations, reflecting India’s evolving retail landscape
Mrinal Chatterjee
From Book-Store to ‘Multi-purpose Stall’, from selling Kafka’s Metamorphosis to crunchy Kurkure-the iconic Wheeler stalls across railway stations in India has undergone a drastic change. It also shows our changing reading habit-from book to e-book, or no-book.
Co-founded by Émile Moreau, a French businessman in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) in 1877, it mainly operates from railway stations. A.H. Wheeler borrowed its name from the then-successful London bookstore and its owner, ‘Arthur Henry Wheelers’, who was also a friend of Emile Moreau and helped him financially. The first store was opened at Prayagraj railway station in 1877.
In 1888 the company began publishing a series of booklets known as the Indian Railway Library. After independence, the Banerjees took over the company in 1950 and it was registered with the Registrar of Companies on 31 October 1953. In 2004 it had bookstores at 258 railway stations all over India.
However the decline of sales of books began with the entry of mobile phones and cheap internet data. It started closing its book shops from 2017 and modifying many of them into multi-purpose stalls.
Duplicate
We were going to Burdwan from Kolkata, and we were in a hurry. En route I felt thirsty. My friend got down and quickly purchased a bottle of water from a road side shop. It looked like the familiar bottle of Bisleri. I drank. After sometime I looked at the bottle and noticed it is not ‘Bisleri’, but ‘Bislari’.
Water, as we all know, is life. But in India, water is also a business. And business is booming, especially the business of selling what looks like a premium product but is actually a questionable liquid in a very familiar-looking bottle.
The process is simple. First, you take a standard bottle (preferably discarded from an actual Bisleri). Then, fill it up not from the majestic heights of the Himalayas, but from the noble depths of a back alley tap. Next, slap on a green label that vaguely resembles the original maybe change an alphabet here, flip the font there, and boom! Your very own brand is ready to hydrate (or hospitalize) the masses.
Why does this happen? Because we are like that only. The famous ‘kanun ke lambe hat’ is busy in doing something else-managing VIP security perhaps.
As Asim Tiwari writes, “India is the land of jugaad, where imitation isn’t just a business model it’s a way of life. So next time you pick up a water bottle and the brand name seems a little… off, take a second look. You might just be holding a collector’s edition of Bestleri, Bislary, or Belsari.
Or better yet, boil your water. It’s the only brand you can trust”.
40 years without Gulsan Nanda
Remember Gulsan Nanda? Prolific author and screenplay writer, best known for his gripping storytelling in Hindi literature and Bollywood. Many of his novels were made into Bollywood films.
Born in Gujarat in 1929 in Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan), Nanda wrote over 40 novels and numerous short stories, often exploring themes of love, betrayal, and mystery. His writing style was simple yet emotionally charged, resonating with a wide audience.
Nanda’s stories became the backbone of several iconic Bollywood films from the early 1960s to early 1980s. His ability to craft intense romantic dramas with unexpected twists made his screenplays highly sought after. Notable adaptations include: Neel Kamal (1968), a romantic thriller starring Raaj Kumar, Manoj Kumar and Waheda Rehman; Kati Patang (1971), a tragic love story starring Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh; Jheel Ke Us Paar (1973), a dramatic tale of love and sacrifice starring Dharmendra and Mumtaz; Badal (1985), a masala revenge drama starring Shammi Kapur, MIthun Chakravorty and Poonam Dhillon.
Nanda’s narratives often featured strong female protagonists, emotional conflicts, and thrilling climaxes. His work influenced a generation of writers and filmmakers.
Though he passed away on 16 November 1985, Gulsan Nanda’s stories continue to inspire remakes and adaptations. His contribution to Indian pulp fiction and Bollywood’s golden era remains unparalleled.
Tailpiece: Height of Cynicism
Roses are dead,
Love is fake.
Weddings are basically funerals with cake.
(Courtesy: Social Media)
(The author is Regional Director Indian Institute of Mass Communication, IIMC Dhenkanal. Views expressed are personal.)
