This new podcast series explores the lives of Mumbai's autorickshaw drivers

Aryaan Misra hails an autorickshaw in the new six-part video series. Pics Courtesy/Evan Thomas

It started with me stopping random autorickshaws on the road and asking them "Chaloge, Bhaiya?" I had no clue at any point as to where they were taking me," Aryaan Misra, co-founder of Desi Studios and the co-host of Desi Crime Podcast, tells us when we broach the topic of his latest digital project, Chaloge Bhaiya? that premieres on YouTube today. Shot as a six-episode series, where Misra takes viewers through multiple auto rides in the city, the series uncovers those unknown addas, eateries and bars frequented by Mumbai's autorickshaw drivers, or as Misra puts it "Places you wouldn't find in a food blogger's list."

So, how did he hop on this idea? "Three years ago, I was working as a producer on investigative crime shows in New York City, and would regularly take the subway. That is when I started thinking about how extensive public transportation is. When I moved to Mumbai about a year ago, I was fascinated by autorickshaws here. They are one of the most cost-efficient and functional modes of commutation we have. The very fact that a Bollywood film star was taken to hospital in an autorickshaw after an attack tells you a lot about how it is one of the biggest equalisers in society," Misra explains. But the idea was marinating in his head for quite some time, we learn.

Misra (right) shares drinks with autorickshaw drivers at a bar

"I had this idea in my mind for a long time when I stumbled upon comedian Kareem Rahma's show, Subway Takes. You could say that I was driven by creative envy, as any good creative should be for being lazy about ideas and not acting on them. It was high time that I worked on my intuition for creating this series," he adds.
Hurtling all across the city, from Andheri to Sakinaka, Chembur and Bandra, Misra discovered quaint haunts and bars by asking just one simple question - "Bhaiya, aap mujhe apni favourite jagah le chaloge?" The meter and the conversation began from thereon.

"We would hail autorickshaws from the street and it was amazing how open and interactive all of them would be. This one autorickshaw driver took me to a place called Gupta Tea and Snacks in Powai, where I had a fantastic misal pav. Then one guy took me to a local bar in Vikhroli where he explained the concept of a happy peg to me. After finishing a bottle or two, they collect leftover alcohol droplets in a cup and savour it in the end as a happy peg. I also took several happy pegs with them," Misra shares, adding that in his conversations one of the most recurring topics of discussion were the perils of the profession.

The host shares a meal with an autorickshaw driver in Powai

"Almost all auto drivers talked about how they don't get enough respect in the profession. A Jain auto driver recounted an incident where he was stopped by the cops for a routine check when the officer who saw his driver's license said, "Your people are businessmen. Why do you drive an auto?" At that moment, he felt as if he had disappointed his ilk. He explained how he feels that he too is a ‘businessman' who owns his own autorickshaw and works on his own time, but nobody sees it that way," Misra added.

With conversations that ranged from the recent price hike in autorickshaw fares to the gap created by aggregator transport services, the series places its primary focus on the stories of autorickshaw drivers and also, taxi drivers to propel the narrative. "Most of the content on the Internet is in English, which disenfranchises quite a big chunk of our digital content consumers. The show, which is in Hindi, is trying to tell an Indian story with the highest production quality. The food will reel you in but it is the story that will keep you hooked," he concludes.

AVAILABLE ON YouTube