The story behind one of Mumbai’s popular momo brands has an unusual Bollywood connection. Suraj Lama, who founded Suraj Lama Momos, once worked as a celebrity driver for several years before making a career switch to selling momos.The Andheri West branch of Suraj Lama Momos was among eight eateries whose licences were suspended by the Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday as part of its festival season enforcement drive. The FDA cited lapses related to food handling and storage, sanitation, cleanliness and measures meant to prevent contamination, calling the violations “serious enough” to warrant swift action under food safety guidelines.Suraj moved to Mumbai from his village Mirik in Darjeeling when he was just 14, looking for work. After taking up various odd jobs, he eventually became a celebrity driver and spent 25 years in the profession. During that time, he worked with actors including Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor, besides driving for prominent production houses such as Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.“I worked with a lot of dedication, and saw people I worked with as my own family, but sometimes I wasn’t seen as equal. It bothered me,” Suraj said in an interview with The Indian ExpresseaOne particular incident eventually pushed him to rethink his career. Recalling it, he said, “I drove an actor to the set. There was a child who wanted to take a photo with the actor, and had been waiting for a long time. I thought of helping that child, but when I conveyed his wish to the actor, they refused. I didn’t feel good,”The growing popularity of app-based cab services such as Ola and Uber also contributed to his decision to leave driving behind. In 2017, Suraj decided to try his hand at selling momos. He had even made Sonakshi and her family taste his momos, and their positive response encouraged him to take the plunge.He quit his job, sold his motorbike and bought a cycle to start a small pop-up momo stall. He also persuaded his wife Vijayata to join him. She left her job as a cook at singer KK’s household to work with him.“In hindsight, it was a big risk. We both were earning around Rs 30,000 each, spending half of it running our home, and saving the rest. The gamble paid off, but it could have gone in another direction as well,” admitted Suraj.At the time, momos were not as widely available in Mumbai as they were in North India, which helped the business gain traction. Suraj began cycling through parts of Andheri West, selling vegetarian and non-vegetarian momos. As demand increased, he eventually opened a roadside eatery in Versova.“In fact, when I first asked the owner of our current store to lease the space to me, he said, You won’t be able to afford it’, and later, he himself reached out to me,” said Suraj.The couple had been earning around Rs 30,000 each from their earlier jobs, but their new venture soon began generating around Rs 700 a day. Suraj also credited his mother’s recipe for giving his momos their distinctive taste.“My momos are just like my mother’s. I follow her recipe. I don’t use preservatives or artificial colouring,” he told Mid-Day in 2017.Suraj has often spoken about his wife’s contribution to the business as well, describing her as a skilled cook who makes the momos. The brand later expanded to outlets in Malad and Kandivali, although Suraj chose not to rush into expanding to markets such as Pune, Nashik and Gujarat.“It is important to maintain quality. Today, we have a central kitchen in Mumbai, overseen entirely by my wife, with a staff of 25, preparing about 16,000 momos daily across various options. It is these momos, cooked till about 90 per cent, that go to each store, whether run by us or a franchise. Until I can do that in another city, I won’t expand,” said Suraj in 2024.However, the brand has now come under the FDA’s scrutiny. According to the authority, inspectors found shortcomings in food handling and storage, sanitation and cleanliness, along with inadequate safeguards against contamination. The FDA said the lapses were “serious enough” to warrant immediate action against the establishment under the applicable food safety guidelines.
