Delhiwale: This way to Gali Guliyan

Gali Guliyan, a picturesque Old Delhi street, contrasts with its film namesake, showcasing vibrant tourism and local life amid its historic charm.

Some citizens relate Ballimaran to the blockbuster film song “Kajra Re,” featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, which mentions the Old Delhi ’hood in passing.

Tourists with the wall. (Mayank Austen Soofi)

But it is another Old Delhi ’hood that truly stands out when it comes to cinema. A full-fledged widely praised film is named after this very street—albeit with a slightly different spelling. Gali Guleiyan, starring Manoj Bajpayee, is set in the lanes of Purani Dilli.

Spelled Gali Guliyan, the actual street is short and relatively quiet, marked by a sequence of old lovely doors and closely set facades. Outside the peak summer months, it hosts a steady stream of visitors, especially foreign tourists. Many arrive with guides. Some of these camera-toting tourists are either heading to or coming out of a nearby restored haveli that now houses a boutique hotel. While walking through the street, almost all of them pause by a side wall colourfully painted with images of the Walled City’s iconic sites. But they all always turn their back to the wall! (See photo). Because of the simple reason that the poor wall faces an exceptionally beautiful doorway.

Gali Guliyan also serves as a connector, linking Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk through a series of picturesque lanes. The tourist exits the mosque’s northern gateway, steps into Gali Guliyan, continues into Gali Dharampura, passes through Gali Anar Wali, and eventually reaches Chandni Chowk. Inevitably, tourism has left a visible imprint on the street. Small stores are stacked with curios, handicrafts, and decorative objects.

Yet, the same street simultaneously exudes the cosy temperament of a hyperlocal mohalla, anchored by landmarks like Kaluram General Store and Kalka Dental Clinic. This afternoon, a labourer walks through the gali carrying a large water filter on his head. He is delivering it to a nearby house, he says. He passes by a doorway inscribed with the words “Shubh Labh,” a familiar invocation of good fortune.

Truth be told, if you watch Gali Guleiyan (the film), you may find it difficult to relate it to Gali Guliyan (the street). The streets shown in the film are too grim and edgy. A newspaper review from a few years ago described the film’s Old Delhi as a character in itself, full on “social dystopia.” The films of course have the freedom to stray into creative fiction. The actual street, at least this moment, leans more towards a sort of social utopia. A woman leans out from an upper-floor window while a friendly fruit seller pauses below. She lowers a rope; he ties the purchase into the plastic bag. The stuff is pulled up, hand over hand.