He spent years driving Bollywood stars, including Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor. Then, in 2017, Suraj Lama left his nearly 25-year career behind and started selling momos from a bicycle in Mumbai.
That small beginning eventually turned into a growing momo business with multiple outlets. Now, Lama is back in the spotlight after the Maharashtra FDA, under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, took action against his Andheri West outlet.
But how did a Bollywood driver end up becoming a momo entrepreneur, and what led to his latest run-in with the food safety authorities?
Who Is Suraj Lama?
Lama is originally from Mirik in Darjeeling. He moved to Mumbai when he was just 14 in search of work.
He initially took up different jobs before eventually becoming a professional driver. Over roughly 25 years, his work brought him into contact with Bollywood actors and production houses.
Among those he drove for were Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor. He also worked for Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.
But despite spending years around celebrities, Lama has spoken about feeling that he was not always treated as an equal in his workplace.
One incident stayed with him. He recalled driving an actor to a shoot when a child who had been waiting for a photograph wanted his help. Lama said he approached the actor about the request but was disappointed when it was refused.
That experience made him think differently about his own career.
The rise of app-based cab services such as Ola and Uber also changed the driving profession. By 2017, Lama had decided it was time to try something of his own.
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Why Did Suraj Lama Start Selling Momos?
The idea was not completely unfamiliar to Lama.
He had been making momos using his mother’s recipe and had even served them to Sonakshi Sinha and her family. According to reports, they liked the food, which gave him confidence in the idea.
Lama then took a major financial risk.
He quit his driving job, sold his motorcycle and bought a bicycle. Instead of opening a restaurant immediately, he began with a small mobile stall, cycling around parts of Andheri West and selling vegetarian and non-vegetarian momos.
His wife, Vijayata, joined him in the venture. She had previously worked as a cook at the household of late singer KK.
At the time, both were reportedly earning around Rs. 30,000 a month from their respective jobs. Leaving those incomes behind to start a food business was therefore a significant gamble.
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How Did He Build His Momo Brand?
The timing also worked in Lama’s favour.
At the time he started selling momos, they were not as readily available across Mumbai as they were in parts of North India. Lama found an opening in the market and began building a customer base in Andheri West.
The bicycle stall eventually became a roadside eatery in Versova.
Lama has recalled that when he first approached the owner of the premises he later occupied, he was told that he would not be able to afford the rent. Later, according to Lama, the same owner approached him about taking the space.
The business subsequently expanded, with outlets reported in areas including Malad and Kandivali.
Lama has also said that maintaining consistency was important to him. In a 2024 interview, he said his Mumbai central kitchen, overseen by his wife, had a team of around 25 people and prepared roughly 16,000 momos a day for the brand’s outlets and franchises.
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Why Is Suraj Lama In The News Now?
On 5 October 2026, the Maharashtra FDA suspended the licence of the original Suraj Lama Momos outlet in Andheri West. The action was part of a wider drive during the festival season in which licences of eight food establishments were suspended.
The FDA cited shortcomings involving food handling and storage, sanitation and cleanliness, as well as measures intended to prevent contamination. The authority considered the reported lapses serious enough to warrant immediate action under applicable food-safety rules.
Tukaram Mundhe is currently the Commissioner of the Maharashtra FDA. The department describes the FDA as the state’s principal regulatory authority for food, medicines and cosmetics, with responsibility for enforcing food-safety standards.
The suspension puts a pause on the licence of the Andheri West outlet, but it should not be confused with a permanent closure of the entire Suraj Lama Momos business.
For Lama, the development marks a sharp turn in a journey that began decades ago with a teenager moving to Mumbai for work, continued through years of driving for Bollywood names and eventually led to a food business built from a bicycle.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
Who Is Suraj Lama?
Suraj Lama is a former Bollywood driver who worked for Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor before becoming a momo entrepreneur in Mumbai.
How Did Suraj Lama Start His Momo Business?
In 2017, after nearly 25 years as a driver, Suraj Lama quit his job and started selling momos from a bicycle and a small stall in Andheri West, Mumbai.
Who Is Suraj Lama’s Wife?
Lama’s wife, Vijayata, joined him in the momo business. She had previously worked as a cook at the household of late singer KK.
How Did Suraj Lama’s Momo Business Grow?
His small bicycle stall eventually grew into the Suraj Lama Momos brand, with multiple outlets and a central kitchen in Mumbai.
Why Is Suraj Lama In The News?
Suraj Lama is in the news after the Maharashtra FDA suspended the licence of his Andheri West momo outlet during a food safety enforcement drive.
What Did Tukaram Mundhe Do?
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe oversaw the enforcement drive, during which the licence of Lama’s outlet was suspended over reported food-handling, storage, sanitation and cleanliness-related lapses.
