2. He is accompanied by Sunny the stray, who arrived one day hungry and made the laundry his permanent abode.

3. Sunny scares Chintu, their pet cat, who keeps far away. Sometimes Sunny is scolded with water spray.

5. Their father Louis Sequeira joined the laundry as an employee, taking over the business from the Gujarati owners in the 1950s.

6. Louis migrated from Mangalore to Bombay as a young man looking for opportunities.

By the time Louis Sequeira settled in Bombay in the 1930s, laundry services had made good strides in port cities. The laundering of ships’ linen meant there was quantity and regularity. The latest modern machine could iron, dry and finish over 18,000 pieces of linen daily. Locally, laundries vied for customers- boasting that their services were a science, that they were dyeing specialists, perfectionists at pleating- and warned of the ‘un-informed Dyers’ and ‘incompetent Cleaners’ that plied Bombay.

But when Louis formally took over Star Cleaning & Dyeing Works in the 1950s, it was really a washing company, catering to the needy of Colaba with washing and ironing facilities. Dry cleaning and dyeing were discontinued. Silk dresses and saris were handled with extra care.

Like Puthu & Sons Washing Co. at Gamdevi, Star also had an Irani Restaurant as its neighbour. Both Washing Company and Irani welcomed all customers.

Photos by Hashim Badani.