At the Orange Art and Book Cafe, a week never passes without open mics, Urdu poetry evenings, English and immersive theatre, book club gatherings, book launches, craft sessions or dance therapy. Recently, the Aundh cafe even hosted a Sufi musical show. The Pagdandi Bookstore Cafe in Baner, one of the most active ones in making authors accessible to readers, is a pitstop for a variety of expert conversations. “Authors come to interact with readers, sign their books and raise their voices by bringing out their stories,” says Vishal Pipraiya, the co-founder of Pagdandi.

“We want to keep books of a niche category, books that are not bestsellers, but important ones featuring significant topics from society. Spaces like these have a role to play in bringing out a certain identity that departs from just serving food and beverages.”

Malaka Spice in Koregaon Park has also been known to host exhibition launches and live art sessions for the longest time. An art gallery is attached to the premises where art openings take place from time to time.

Artists are equally keen on finding a conducive environment. “Cafes I’ve worked with have been supportive of new creators and have willingly provided platforms that encourage inclusivity and creativity. To date I always say my biggest win at the Pride event (at Hippie @ Heart, Balewadi) was having a stall set up that opened up conversations around sex and pleasure,” says Nishita Kamdar, 20, a co-founder at Ekya India, which serves as a youth-based community service platform.

Organisers such as Kamdar say that a non-judgemental, open space such as an art and book cafe help their inspiration to soar. “Places like these that create room for innovation and conversation will become artist hubs because they offer the opportunity of a community, which is something we value so much as creators,” adds Kamdar.

Navigating through a world in pursuit of cultural, social and creative connectivity can get tiresome for artists looking to enter a space where their efforts and talents would be effectively valued. Equally, there is a public out there that is on the lookout to bring their minds and hearts into artistic events and activities without the bother of travelling to auditoriums and galleries in distant parts of the city.

While the cafes draw in a crowd for their tea, pav and muffins, among others, it is for the performances, talks and shows that people stay on. It is important to note that the owners of the cafes are dedicated to culture themselves rather than profit-making. The Orange Art and Book Cafe was started by Sneha Dhatingan, a Kathak dancer, and her husband Sumedh Sarojini, whose roots are in theatre. “For us, it is not just ‘eat more food’, it is ‘eat more art’,” says Sneha. Pagdandi was opened in 2013 by Pipraiya and his wife Neha Tiwari, who are avid readers themselves.

The vision to create an artistic community, especially for individuals who have been a part of the creative arts is what gives rise to the creation of such spaces. “We know what artists want, we know the role art plays in all this, people need art to live,” says Dhatingan.

“There is a difference between reading alone at home as opposed to being surrounded by four other people who are doing the same thing,” says Indal Ratne, Manager at the Waari Book Cafe in Kothrud. “Earlier we had libraries where people could go and look for what they wanted, but now this practice is getting less and less. People have to resort to buying books from commercial bookstores at high prices, for something they would read just once. This is where our work is important. We charge you for your time, and give you the opportunity to read works you do not normally get to see in the market”. While the Waari Book cafe mostly attracts school kids, college goers or IT professionals as a whole, they find themselves receiving general English, Hindi and Marathi readers as well. This is not a practice restricting itself to the usually regarded English-speaking, English-reading community.

For art buffs, cafes are where they can meet like-minded people and create a society. “ I would credit places like these cafes for bringing people together,” says Ishaan Moiranghtem, 20, who is also a student of design, “most good events are very well designed so I would say that they all have distinctive characteristics that make them unique and interesting, which often also becomes the selling point of the workshops/event itself. These events are great for socializing and networking with people who are active in the art/design world”.

At a time when the world is constantly being stimulated by AI and technology, spheres like these act as sanctuaries offering opportunities for creative evolution. Running into fellow enthusiasts chasing collaborative zones in the process enhances the journey further. There is, after all, no life without art.