India, May 21 -- 'Coffee is for meetings but mulaqaats happen over chai!' On International Tea Day today, HT City talks to actor-poets on why tea is an enduring inspiration for them.

Manav Kaul's poem Purani Thandi Chai from his book Katranein (2024) reads:"Hum wahi baithe they usi ped ke neeche wali chai ke dukaan pe, jaati hui patjhad aati hui thand ke beech. Yahi woh jagah thi jahan hum mila karte hain aur chai ki chuskiyan lete huye ghanton batiyate rehte."

"It goes back to those initial tough days of long theatre practice in Bhopal and Mumbai, and relief used to be chai breaks. I have been doing theatre for the last 25 years, so chai has subconsciously come in everything. People say all my plays and books have element of tea in it ...